College spring break has become one of those infamously famous events in pop culture that every young adult looks forward to. I know that when I was first entering college, it was one of the top things I was looking forward to—a time that movies are made about and the birthplace of the craziest stories that your parents tell you from their college days. While spring break can, of course, be this for some college students, realistically most of the time it is easier, and much cheaper, to simply go home for this short break. Here are some ways I’ve personally made my hometown spring breaks just as enjoyable as the ones where I’m traveling.
I like to think of my hometown spring break as a little backstory episode in the show of my life. Romanticizing this can really make all the difference and, of course, you have to see yourself as the main character in your own life. Once you start thinking of it this way, things start to get fun. Getting creative and romanticizing my hometown and life at home makes it a lot more exciting and definitely changes my perspective.
One way that I’ve found myself spending this kind of break at home, and something I’ve grown to appreciate more, especially in my later years in college, is spending time with family. While this seems like a give-in, sometimes it’s something I feel I can overlook in the hustle and bustle of college. Catching up with parents and siblings over lunch or visiting that one aunt or grandparent you haven’t seen since Christmas is always a good way to spend the time I’ve found. And it’s always entertaining to catch up on all the juicy family drama you’ve missed while away at school—or maybe that’s just my Italian family.
Another thing that makes going back home for spring break a little extra fun is finding some new spots in town that you’ve never been to before. I know I always pass a ton of cute little shops and restaurants in my city and think to myself, “Huh, I’ve never seen that place before. I should go sometime!” and then never remember or find the time to go. Well, this is a perfect opportunity to finally hit up those places and maybe find one of my new favorite spots. This definitely keeps things feeling fresh in a place that can feel like you already know everything about. Honestly, nine times out of ten, I end up visiting these places, loving it, and wondering why I had never stopped in before.
If you’re like me, going back home can also make you a little emo. Sometimes a late-night drive listening to music that gets you in your feels, sitting in your childhood room or going on a walk around your neighborhood listening to some good podcasts is the exact kind of catharsis needed to complete that hometown episode. Some good podcasts I’ve found myself deep diving into while at home are Anything Goes by Emma Chamberlin and On My Mind by Ava Jules. Both of these podcasts just have a way of sucking me in and leaving me to dive into all my deepest thoughts that I don’t usually get around to thinking about in my busy college lifestyle. Definitely a good way to reset and recoup for when I get back to school.
Spring breaks in your hometown are definitely what you make of it, so putting yourself in that positive and excited mindset is super important. Honestly, most of my friends throughout college have spent most of their spring breaks going home, so it’s a lot more normal and acceptable than you might think. I know at first going into college I was super set on all my spring breaks being these crazy, life-changing travel stories, but I’ve truly found my most enjoyable ones to be the ones I’ve spent at home. So, if you find yourself going back home for your spring break, get ready to become the main character, because your backstory episode is almost in action.
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