Designing in a fishbowl

Yesterday I took a trend survey for someone in the Livewell Collaborative, and it got some things rolling around in my head. The survey was simply about me...what I like to do for fun, my favorite store...sounds pretty easy, right? It was actually suprisingly difficult. I felt so separated from a lot of these questions. When was the last time I went to the store other than a grocery store? What do I do for fun? What do I care about more, the enviroment or the economy? (What kind of a question is that at a time like this anyway?!) Needless to say, the survey took a while.

I feel like when I am in school, I live in a fishbowl. I can see out of the fishbowl...but rarely do I participate in anything outside of it. As designers, we should be living outside of the fishbowl, having different experiences and letting ourself be informed about things other than ourselves...isn't that what its all about? However I feel like when I am in school, I don't have time for anything other than my projects. I remember as a kid when Dad would take us out for Sunday drives, where we would get ice cream or splash around in a creek, maybe even discover a new place. Now the notion of a Sunday drive seems inconcievable....Sunday is work day!!

Figure A: Escaping from the DAAP fishbowl into something a little less suffocating

I don't mean for this post to sound negative, if that is the way it is coming across. Maybe I am the only one who feels this way since I am a worrywort/workaholic. Or maybe I am just feeling a little tired of computers right now. Either way, does anyone else have any thoughts? Anyone feel similar, or am I just crazy?

Either way, I am excited to get out of the fishbowl and into Boston next quarter...it will be the furthest away I have ever been from home for a co-op!