Tufts Blogs

I’m from Los Angeles, so I’ve had my fair share of amazing sunsets, like so:

But Boston…Boston REALLY knows how to craft a gorgeous pre-night sky.  I’ve seen sunsets with colors and hues blending into each other in a way that I didn’t even think was possible.  Now I’m not saying you should pick your college based on its sunsets, but I’ve found that these earthly paintings offer more than just something nice to look at.

I remember my first sunset sighting at Tufts.  I was moving in, and it was an extremely hot day.  I couldn’t wait to turn my fan on and just lie on my bed.  After finishing dinner, my fan and a bottle of water was all I could think about, but then I saw this:

 I was so caught off guard I almost ran into the person walking in front of me.  The clouds were so full and fluffy! It framed my dorm so nicely!  After snapping a couple pictures, I just stood outside for a while taking it all in, my thirst and probable impending heat stroke forgotten.    

Now, I am not joking when I say this: sunsets have healing powers.  I’ve had days where I’ve gone to class so tired that I don’t know how I made it through the lecture.   There have been times when I’ve gotten a paper back and felt really discouraged after receiving a professor’s comments.  But I kid you not, practically EVERY time, as I’m walking to my dorm, the dining hall, or my next class, there is always a gorgeous sunset waiting for me.

Not only do sunsets console students here at Tufts, but they also bring them together, and I have literally seen this in action.  There will be a day when people are indoors studying for all those exams and writing those papers, and all of a sudden a sunset graces the Tufts skies and people come running outside.  Interestingly enough, I see it as a show of solidarity.  We all need a little pick-me-up sometimes; we recognize the fact that this city has some sweet scenery to offer, and Tufts has a great vantage point to watch it all unfold.  I was walking back from math class on a rainy day when this beauty hit the skies:

Sunsets help me to remember that even when things are going pretty badly, they can get better.  After looking at the sky, I’ve been reinvigorated to make my next paper better, to study differently for the next exam.  I’ve recognized that how I’m feeling at that moment isn’t permanent, and I’ll feel better.  If you think about it, it’s actually pretty amazing that in minutes, the sky can become so beautiful after being so dreary and sad all day.  I actually met a really good friend of mine during a sunset sighting.  We both stopped on Tisch Roof to take a picture, and we literally bonded over that sky.  So the next time you’re feeling stressed, confused, or overworked, go outside and take a look at a sunset, or just scroll through this post to take a look at the ones I've seen so far.  I promise, you’ll feel better, even just a tiny bit.  And who knows, maybe your first sunset is where you’ll meet one of your friends too.