As a college student, I have dreams and aspirations like everyone else, and one of my dreams is to travel the world, one step at a time. Whether that be with a significant other, with family members, or by myself, I want to visit the most remote places, the incredible spots, the most cliché resorts, and relaxing islands. I want to feel the thrill of bungee jumping and paragliding or even discovering a new place that I had never thought I’d cross over.

And I cannot pursue that dream while being broke at the same time.

So as the first step in my line of multiple journeys and adventures, I take short and affordable trips.

As a resident of the state of Alabama, you wonder what is there to do, where can you go, and how can anyone have fun in the state that we are in?

In short, “There is almost always NOTHING to do.” -everyone.

Prior to this short vacation, I would have agreed.

The one thing about living in this state is that the whole entire fun living and exotic thrills are not going to be right around the corner, you seriously have to look for them.

Alabama has great parks and beaches and nature preserves. It may not be the first state that will come to mind when I want to go something exhilarating, however, when you are looking for something close by, Alabama is not too short on the list.

Plus, if you’re tight on money, the prices are reasonable as opposed to other places where prices are incredibly expensive.

I have heard plenty of times that people feel stuck. I say, bull to that. If you are not willing to move or to find your own adventures, then yes, you are stuck.

As I was searching for a place to go, I figured it was time to switch things up. When I was a child, I went on many hiking and camping adventures, and so I figured, why not go hiking. After thorough investigation and a substantial amount of planning, this brought me to DeSoto State Park.

I am just kidding, there actually was little to no planning and only a GPS to guide me to DeSoto State park. I packed what I thought I needed to be safe and went on my way.

DeSoto State park is a beautiful nature preserve located atop a gorgeous mountain with waterfalls and trails that lead you to some surprising cliff sides, rivers, and caves. The park is beyond what you would imagine.

When I first arrived, I noticed that that cabins, lodges, and motels were small, so I figured the entire park was not as big as suggested.

Boy, was I wrong.

I cannot begin to tell how many miles and miles and miles one hike is, let alone how mane trails there are or waterfalls.

Given, I chose a poor time to go. In the summer time, the falls aren’t as powerful as they would be in the spring or winter. However, it was a bummer when I discovered 3 dry waterfalls, BUT! The biggest falls at the park was still beautiful and was flowing with an okay amount to take this beautiful picture. The fall was wimpy, but still a sight to see.

Going on a nature hike was definitely exciting! There were many uphill climbs and downward walks, there were fallen trees in my path, but eventually all that did not matter. It was a wonderful experience and a great time away from home to get a break from everything.

Believe it or not, DeSoto is a great de-stressor. Nature itself can take the mind away from any trouble and set you at ease. (For me, at least.)

At the end of one trail, I found a little river and spent the morning watching the sunset, it really is something to simply rest in all that was created.

I recommend DeSoto State Park for when you cannot find anything to do.

The next time you find yourself saying “there’s nothing to do in Alabama,” maybe you just didn’t look hard enough.