Between my caffeine dashes and last-minute study sessions, there’s always that one friend from freshman year, lab mate or even a close friend I haven’t seen for a while shouting over, ‘Hey! Been a while, what have you been up to?’ In this college chaos, it seems like everyone is curious about what everyone else is up to. And let me tell ya, that question has become as common as my late-night snack runs. People want to find something they can connect with or find interesting, so it’s almost an instinctive response to ask: what have you been up to? It’s funny that when someone asks this question they’re almost on autopilot and they don’t think: why am I asking this question? They just do. When I get asked this question, I immediately think: How can I express these stories and thoughts? And for some reason choosing the right story always feels like a puzzle. 

There’s my default answer – an almost rehearsed ‘Oh, just keeping up with classes and the usual stuff.’ But beyond that facade, there’s a collection of memories. Depending on who’s on the other side of the conversation, I might share a quirky tidbit about a new hobby I picked up or delve deeper into a party experience from last weekend. The challenge? Measuring how much to share, what might resonate, or what might just add to the daily noise. It’s this balancing act of connection, revealing snippets of my world tailored to who’s asking. 

Sometimes, I think back to my elementary school days when we had to write about our summer holidays. I would often sit with my pencil thinking over the paper, wondering which stories to write about. The challenge wasn’t a lack of stories but the daunting task of turning them into words that did justice to the moments. Maybe it was the fear of leaving out a precious detail or the apprehension that my words wouldn’t express the happiness I felt. Fast forward to now, and not much has changed. When hit with the ‘What have you been up to?’ question, I plunge into a mental archive, looking for that perfect story. It could be about the captivating book that kept me up till 3 AM or the podcast that shifted my worldview. And then, there are those unexpected gems, like the time I mistook a stranger for a classmate and we ended up grabbing lunch together, laughing off the mix-up. 

In this age of 24/7 connectivity, that question isn’t limited to campus run-ins anymore. My phone buzzes with notifications, from social media DMs to family group texts, each sporting its own version of, ‘What’s new?’ or ‘Haven’t heard from you in a while! Spill!’ It’s like the world is both expanding and contracting, and everyone’s trying to keep up with it.

Now, I’ve tried my hand at condensing life into Instagrammable snippets. Took that sunset picture with a deep quote (courtesy of some famous philosopher or maybe it was just a lyric from my favorite song?). Shared a quick story of that very funny time when I tried a fancy soccer trick, only to trip over the ball and land flat on the grass. But truthfully, they’re just glimpses. Can a 15-second story truly capture the rollercoaster ride that is a day in the life of a Rice student?

It’s tempting to only show the highlight reel. Who wants to share about the ‘boring’ things? Yet, it’s often those ‘imperfect’ moments, the in-betweens, that make for the most authentic connections. They remind us of our shared human experience – that behind every polished post or rehearsed response, there’s a person navigating through the ups and downs of life.

So, in the grand scheme of things, “What have you been up to?” is more than just a question; it’s an invitation. An invitation to share, and to showcase our personal highlight reels or maybe our blooper tapes. We’re all just trying to make sense of the wild ride that is life. 

It’s not always about the crazy adventures or the Instagram-worthy shots. Sometimes, the most meaningful stories are found in the ordinary, the everyday. Like the other day, when I got stuck playing Call of Duty for hours, only to realize I’m just as terrible as I was when I was fourteen. Or the recent evening when I tried to tune my guitar and, after numerous failed attempts, finally ended up watching a rom-com instead. These seemingly mundane moments, when shared, can resonate deeply because they’re real and relatable.

And yet, if I had to be completely honest, there are days when “What have you been up to?” catches me off guard. Moments when I wish I had a better answer or a wild story to share. But then I remind myself that it’s okay. It’s okay to just be, to exist in the usual, and to find joy in the little moments. After all, aren’t those the stories we remember most? Not the rehearsed ones, but the spontaneous moments that catch us by surprise.