When I decided to go to Sonoma State I was worried about finding things to do in Rohnert Park.  Before I applied to colleges I had never even heard of Rohnert Park.  When I visited this campus, just looking around I did not think there was a lot to do.

After living here for two years, I have found places to go, things to do, but most importantly,  I have found friends. My friends and I are big movie goers. We love to stock up on candy and go to the midnight showings. 

Occasionally we go to San Francisco and walk around Pier 39 with our Ghirardelli chocolate and lattes, or dance away the night at clubs. We also make trips to the Russian River on hot Friday afternoons after everyone gets out of class.

 When we do not want to spend gas money, having the typical college students budget, we find fun or silly things do to on campus.  There was one Monday night I will never forget with my freshmen roommates. I lived in a co-ed dorm so there was never a dull moment. 

One time, the boys and girls had a prank war going on in the house.  It was around midnight and I felt splashes of water hit my face, then the next thing I knew my suite mate Danny was bouncing on my bed screaming wake up. The boys took our screen off and shot us with water guns. 

I was mad at first but then I thought, “we have to get even.”  The girls took the boys’ door off and brought it downstairs. We started running around Zinfandel village after one another.

 Another instance I recall was in the Beauj pool last year. My friends and I were in the pool until about midnight playing chicken and  trying to launch each other off the boys back. We had glow sticks out and we were just having a blast.  

  My best friend Keaton Stuva feels he can have a good time doing anything as long as he is with his best friends. 

“Whether it is going on a run, singing along to a song, seeing a movie at midnight, or merely just relaxing and disregarding the social partying and invitations that try to pull  me in through my phone, no matter what I do with my best friends it is all I need to get by my day-to-day ways.” said Stuva.  

 Keaton had become one of my best friends freshman year.  We could be doing nothing and still have fun and have a good time. We either are trying to do homework and then break out into singing along with ‘80s songs or working out together; we always  share a good laugh.

I remember complaining to my dad that there was nothing in Rohnert park. I was worried I was going to have a bad college experience because I did not believe there was much in Rohnert Park.

“It does not matter where you are. What you are always going to remember are fun times you had with your buddies,” said my dad. 

I now see the truth in what my dad told me.  The spontaneous nights we decided to cover ourselves in orange body paint and go saran wrap cars are the memories I will remember most. 

There are things to do around Rohnert Park you just have to go an adventure and find them.  I feel if you have a solid group of friends you will never find yourself lacking in the fun department. It is the moments with our friends we  cherish the most.  

There are plenty of places and things to do we are in driving distance of  San Francisco, Lake Sonoma, the Russian River, Santa Rosa, etc.  

When you are with your friends finding fun things to do will not be a difficult task.  The people in your life make everything fun and memorable.