As students trudge through the last week of classes before sweet, sweet spring break, their minds are probably miles away—literally. Just about everyone is dreaming about the same thing: a sun-soaked, margarita-soaked week of fun and relaxation in some beautiful vacation resort. (And can you blame us after the winter we’ve had?) Even I’ve daydreamed about this enough that I’ve nearly convinced myself that it’s actually going to happen.
In reality, however, I’m just going back to my less-than-glamorous hometown, and so are plenty of others who just don’t have the free time or money to go far away. That leads us to the rise of “stay-cations,” or ways to have fun and “vacation” without traveling. If you’re looking to make the most of your spring break at home, check out these 5 ideas.
1. Be a tourist in your own town. Explore the lesser-known parts of your town or city. You could check out some quaint little shop or museum you never bothered to visit before (bonus: museums are usually free!). Or take the time to really appreciate the beauty in the scenic areas that you’ve been driving past for years.
2. Spa day! Take the free time to pamper yourself and do all the beauty routines that take a backseat to busy days of studying and working. Invite some friends over and spend the day doing mani-pedis, shaping your eyebrows, creating the perfect exfoliating face mask… the possibilities are endless.
3. Netflix marathon. How could I not include this one? Binge watching has taken the world by storm. You might do this during the workweek anyway, but now you won’t have that nagging feeling that you should be doing something else. It’s the perfect opportunity to power through that one show everyone’s been talking about.
4. Yoga/pilates classes. Check out some local yoga classes (or if there are none nearby, you can just find them on TV or online). Relaxing on vacation is key, but you’ll feel fit and motivated at the same time.
5. Start and finish a project. Remember that awesome plan you had for redecorating your bedroom? Sure, it was a late-night burst of inspiration and you never actually got around to it, but now is the time to get started! DIY projects are a great way to pass the time and improve your creative skills.