February is quickly coming to an end and we all know what that means….SPRING BREAK BABY!!! You have worked hard this semester and no doubt deserve a break filled with relaxation and fun. Spring Break is a time where a lot of people go away with friends to sunny paradises to relax and most of all – party. I don’t know what makes spring break vacation so different than other vacations, but people really seem to go crazy in preparation for and especially during it. I am not trying to be a scolding parent, but I am trying to let girls know, as a partier myself, that you really do have to be extra careful on your spring break vacations. So read on, and laugh at the storytellers’ expense. Just make sure you do not make the same mistakes!
I have a few stories of my own to share first. The worst thing that happened to me was getting sun poisoning in Mexico. The sun is a lot stronger in places that are not Pittsburgh. People seem to forget this because we live here, we are constantly shielded by clouds and are never really exposed to the fiery sun. Take my word for it though -definitely do not go lay out the first day drenched in oil. I know you want to get tan, but ladies please – be careful! Not only did I get sunburn, but my skin got swollen and puffed up from the burns! If you look closely at the picture of me with the red shirt on, my forehead is kind of raised in the middle. Going to the clubs super burnt red or having a puffy swollen head is NOT cute. Also, be careful with just the general temperature of your body and how hydrated you are. I was not hydrated and was walking all day on the boardwalk doing some shopping. Then, out of nowhere, I passed out right on the Ocean City boardwalk! Talk about embarrassing. Luckily for me, my sister was there to drag me in to an ice cream shop and cool me off in the freezer. Avoid an embarrassing fainting episode and chug that H2O!
The next thing to watch out for on Spring Break vacations are your important possessions. It is easy to misplace really necessary things for your life when on vacation because you are so distracted with trying to have the best time and venturing in a new area. For example, I asked my roommate, Kayla, about losing possessions and she very sternly replied, “Don’t lose your ID. Just make sure you are responsible. If you are not paying attention, you can easily do something that will mess up your whole week.” Kayla lost her ID last year on spring break and it ruined her week because she could not go out to the bars all week. Even if you are not old enough to drink, be careful with your possessions! My best friend lost her whole wristlet which not only had her license but her money, credit cards, and camera in it. Talk about ruining a week of vacation. You can still have fun, just pay attention to your surroundings!
One of the most important things to watch out for is the people you surround yourself with. Going on a week of vacation with the wrong people can be your worst nightmare. I talked to my friend, Tracy, who had a spring break experience that proved this point. “I just went with what I thought would be a good group of fun people, but it ended up being a disaster. A couple got in a violent fight, broke the condominium window, and I walked into the room right when all of this was happening. The cops came to check out the ruckus, and just because I was there in the room, I got charged with possession of alcohol as a minor when THEY were the ones fighting and drinking.” This shows you that even if you are not the one doing something wrong, you can get in trouble by association with the people you surround yourself with. Nobody wants to deal with the cops on vacation! They all got kicked out of the condominium only a few days into vacation, did not get a refund, and had to pay extra for the broken window. That sounds like a nightmare to me. Only bring friends you trust and know will make smart decisions.
Aside from staying hydrated, avoiding getting burnt, watching your possessions, and not getting in trouble – please just stay healthy, ladies. The most upsetting thing I heard when asking about spring break horror stories was how girls are desperately trying to lose weight before hitting the beach. A friend from another school told me, “All of my friends are freaking out about trying to get really skinny for the beach. They are going to the gym everyday and literally starving themselves.” Please work out and eat well and be healthy to make yourself feel good. However, be yourself and have fun. Starving yourself and working out like a crazy woman is actually destructive to your body – no matter what you may see on the outside. Go to the beach to get away and have fun with your friends – don’t worry so much about having the “perfect” body for the beach. Everyone goes on Spring Break to let loose and have fun, NOT to compare bodies. So no sweat! Rock what you go and be healthy! Here is a little secret – having confidence in yourself can do wonders for your appearance.
Okay so finish up your midterms, papers, and projects and get ready for a well-earned vacation from school. I hope, however, if you are lucky enough to go on a vacation over the break that you think twice about some of the stories that me and other previous partying spring breakers have shared. They are simple things to do and some may be common sense, but spring break fever causes people to sometimes lose their minds and lose track of reality. You do not want to be burnt for the whole week, faint, lose your favorite or most necessary things, and you most definitely do not want a run in with the law. Just remember the wise words of my friends:
“Definitely have a good time that is what spring break is for. Just be smart!” – Kayla
“If you have to think twice before you do it, don’t do it.” – Emily