When you picture the stereotypical college spring break, you probably envision the beach. Lots of collegiettes flock to warmer coasts mid-March wearing the trendy bikinis they bought specifically for that trip. As much as I would have loved to have spent the week lounging on a beach or exploring a new city, I decided to stay in town. However, my week at home didn’t mean that I couldn’t get a few pretty Instagram pictures in. It’s my favorite social media platform, and I knew it’d make my week more fun to document even the little pleasures, like a trip to Starbucks for my favorite coffee (iced, since it’s warm now!). Here are some of the Instagram pictures I took over my spring break at home this week…do they compete with the ones from more tropical locales?
My favorite thing about my city is the beautiful parks. While walking in one of them this week, I spotted a mailbox underneath a bush. I opened it up, and there were a few little notebooks inside. Visitors to the park had written things like stories of getting engaged at the park or celebrating holidays there. Some people wrote encouraging messages. Finding it felt like something that would happen in a whimsical novel. I wasn’t in an exotic locale, but I found something beautiful right in my hometown.
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I’m lucky enough to live next to another park in my city, so I spend a lot of time there when it’s warm. I used my free time during break to catch up on some fun reading. As an English major, I do a lot of assigned reading, so it was refreshing to read something I chose. I couldn’t ignore the sunny weather, so I took my book outside and read in the park. It felt luxurious, and it was almost as good as reading on the beach.
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I love to play the ukulele, and spring break is a great time to catch up on things that fall through the cracks when you’re busy with papers and tests. I don’t break out my ukulele as often as I’d like to, so I made sure to do that this week. A ukulele sounds so beach-y and bright, so it fit the relaxed mood of my break. Instead of spending my week trying out new things in a new place, I made sure to spend time on what I love in a familiar place.
Unfortunately, my week wasn’t completely free of obligations. I spent a little time working, and I had to run a few errands as well. I was determined to find beauty in the boring, so I kept my phone camera-ready even as I went with my husband to get some of his pants tailored. While we were at the suit store, I spotted a colorful shelf of ties. I knew that it would look pretty close up and filtered, so I took a picture for Instagram. It turned out well, and I felt accomplished.
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Of course, one of the best parts of a trip is trying out the local food. My version of this was visiting the closest Chick-Fil-A. It’s a huge perk of living in the South. I didn’t know what I had been missing until I moved to North Carolina and tried it. I plan to find more ways to incorporate Chick-Fil-A into my life so that I have excuses to eat there all the time.
Staying at home for spring break didn’t sound thrilling, but I loved the chance to relax at home. I don’t get as much down time at home as I’d like during a normal school week, so it felt indulgent to just read, take walks and spend time doing my hobbies. Trips are amazing, but don’t pressure yourself to have the typical spring break experience. If you’d rather spend it at home, you should do that! You can still take some quaint pictures for Instagram.