Sitting here on my couch, itching the hives that cover my skin, I can’t help think what a week its been. I, like many college students, traveled to one of the hotspots for spring break. I haven’t really come to terms with whether I had the best week of my life or the weirdest week, but one thing is for sure it will be something I always remember. Looking back, I have a couple confessions about my week that maybe might help you figure out if spring break is really all it’s supposed to be.
If you’re on a budget, you’re going to hate your life.
As an independent student working to pay for college and an apartment, a spring break trip is hardly affordable. But pulling some overtime and saving money, I was able to scrounge up enough money to go to Panama City Beach, Florida. I budgeted in food, alcohol and random fun things. But when I got there, it was a whole different story. Clubs cost around 30 to even 50 dollars a night, or you can spend $50 on a pass to get in free, but it only works at some clubs on certain nights, and you have to go in between 7-9 p.m. And on top of that, you almost have to walk to any place you go or pay for parking. So about 10 bucks each night. Then the food prices and alcohol prices are jacked up because they know kids are coming. So take your partying budget and double it. Because you will be spending double what you think you are.
You have to let loose.
I have a hard time letting go around complete strangers, so being surround by a thousand people who I had no idea were, it was a struggle. You don’t have to be the girl on the stage ripping her top off for a couple a strands of beads, but you should get out and be adventurous. My biggest regret is being too reserved. Instead of trying to meet and talk to people, I just stuck with my group and didn’t maximize my fun. When I did reach out, I met tons of people and had the best night of my spring break. It’s a little uncomfortable to be surround by thousands of drunk college kids, but when you loosen up its a whole lot of fun.
You will not get clean
Whether it’s the hotel, the beach, the club, you will never feel 100% clean. So just give up. You could shower five times in one day but the second you step into a club, you just feel all dirty again. Or you stay in the cheap dive hotel like me, and sleep in your clothes and never get under the covers. Just expect to get dirty and enjoy the one week when no one really cares if your hair is combed or not.
Remember you are surrounded by beauty
For the first couple days, I didn’t care really that we were on the beach. I just wanted to party. It wasn’t until the middle of the week when I grabbed a book and sat on the beach for three hours and read. When I looked up, I saw how beautiful the beach looked right before the sunset, and I was in awe. So my last night there, I went to the beach with my friends and we took pictures, and then the morning before we left, I got up at 6:39 a.m. just to catch the sunrise. It was probably the highlight of my week. So while you’re partying hard along the beach, remember that nature itself, is beautiful.