It’s time to say a temporary goodbye to swimsuits and sunscreen! Spring break has come to an end and unfortunately all of us on the hill are back to our daily routines. But we don’t have to let go of the sunshine and sand just yet—I sat down with three enthusiastic Gusties to recap their fantastic spring break trips to give us a taste of vacation for just a little while longer.
Marissa White, a Gustavus sophomore Music and Spanish Double Major, took an incredible weeklong trip with one of her close friends to San Juan and Fajardo, Puerto Rico.
How would you summarize your trip in one sentence?
“Sunshine and sunburn and that’s about it!”
What was the most memorable experience you had in Puerto Rico?
“Probably learning to surf because that’s not something we do here in Minnesota. In Puerto Rico you’re always only about half an hour from the ocean. Learning to surf was incredible, even though it’s probably not a skill I could list on my résumé.”
Any funny travel stories from your trip?
“My friend Chase and I tried to use public transportation in San Juan and the bus was supposed to come every half an hour. We waited at a bus stop with two other tourists and some locals for 45 minutes. Eventually, we ended up giving up on the bus and we squished six of us into a four-person taxi. So, we became friends very quickly!”
Was your vaycay more touristy or laid-back?
“Both! Neither Chase nor I had been on a vacation solely to be tourists, so we planned lots of fun activities like snorkeling, hiking in the rainforest, and surf lessons but we also took a few days to just lay on the beach and relax!”
Katie Peroutka, a Gustavus sophomore Communication Studies and Music Double Major, had a fantastic experience working with Habitat for Humanity in Maryville, Tennessee for the week.
What was the goal of the trip?
“The goal of my trip was building a house for someone. We mainly did repairs for a house that had already been built and we also worked at the ReStore. The ReStore is one of the main moneymaking ways that Habitat does their work. We were there to volunteer and to help sort out all of the items that were donated to them, from electronics to clothing. We also got the opportunity to plant a new garden in front of the building.”
What was your favorite part of the trip?
“One of the most rewarding things for me work-wise was the first day when we went to the ReStore. That day we had the opportunity to redo the entire front of the building. We pulled out bushes, put in new gravel, trimmed all the hedges, and planted a brand new garden. Some of the people utilizing the ReStore would stop to thank us for our time and for what we were doing. That appreciation was probably the most rewarding thing because it continued on throughout the trip. On a personal note, the most rewarding thing for me was getting to know everyone on a deeper level. I went on a trip where I didn’t have many of my close friends so I met so many people that I didn’t know prior.”
Any funny travel stories?
“Well, as far as the mountain goes, I didn’t trip going up the mountain; I wanted to cry! But going down the mountain, when you have lots of momentum as you’re running, it’s easy to fall and I definitely tripped seven times going down!”
If you could describe the trip in one word, what would it be?
“Humbling. Habitat strives to give a home to someone who doesn’t necessarily have a place to live. The people we give homes to could be having their first experience where they can call something their own. I know that I take that for granted everyday because we don’t always realize it’s the littlest things that matter. The organization really makes you appreciate what you have, but also fuels your drive to volunteer.”
Maggie Willis, a Gustavus sophomore Athletic Training Major, had the amazing opportunity to spend a week in Petatlán, Mexico with the Learning to Serve group from GAC.
What was the goal of Learning to Serve’s trip to Petatlán?
“To maintain the bond that Petatlán has with St. Peter, its sister city. The program started in 2010 and students have been going down every spring break since then to keep the bond between the two cities!”
How would you describe your trip?
“Life changing. People say that you’re not the same person when you come back from a trip like that and I never really believed them but now that I’ve done it—it’s so true. You don’t think that you can get that close with other people in a week, but we did. It was amazing.”
What was one thing from your trip that put a smile on your face?
“We took a tour of the university in Petatlán, where my host father is the president, so we were able to get a cool tour and see everything. At the end, he thanked everyone and he publicly announced that I was his host daughter. It brought tears to my eyes because I knew that the awkward stage of getting to know each other had passed and I was a part of the family. I knew then that my host family saw me as a member of the family and it made my day. I absolutely miss them.”
Any funny travel stories?
“When we were coming home on Sunday, I got pulled over in customs so they could search my stuff. It was 8 p.m.; I’d been up for twelve hours and was running on three hours of sleep. The worker asked me what I had bought in Mexico so I started listing off the gifts I had bought and I finally said “Well, I got pot” and continued listing more things. He stopped me and said, “Wait, you brought back pot?” and I said, “Well, yeah!” and I took out a little handmade pot I had bought and the worker was so nervous. It was then that I realized that I had told him I had pot, like the drug, instead of a pot.”