Spring Break. College students’ two favorite words. At least for those who go somewhere warm with other college students.
When I started college, I made a promise to myself that each year for Spring Break I would go on a trip with friends and have the time of my life. I can happily say that I accomplished that goal and kept the promise I made to myself. Everyone asks where I get all the money. My answer is that I work, as do most college students, but these trips are what I look forward to every year. I am a firm believer that experience and memories make for a much more fulfilling life than what material things can offer. As cliché as it is, you really only live once, so splurging on an experience or two of a lifetime is worth it. When you’re dying, you’re not going to be saying to yourself, “I wish I wouldn’t have gone on the spring break trip and spent a grand,” if you go. But if you don’t go, I can almost guarantee you will be wishing you would have gone.
College is the one time in your life that you get to be as selfish and carefree as you want. You no longer have your parents to ask for permission from and you’re not paying never-ending bills yet. It’s supposed to be the best four years of your life, but it’s up to you to make that happen.
I kicked off my Spring Break series with a low-key trip to Cape Coral, Florida along with my friend Casey and we stayed at my grandparents’ house. We visited Fort Myers Beach every day and met people from around the country when hanging out at the Lani Kai. Sophomore year, a group of 10 of us road-tripped down to Panama City Beach, Florida for the movie-like spring breaker experience. The Holiday Inn Resort was so fun and we went the last year that Luke Bryan performed on the beach. Club La Vela is also a must! Junior year, six of my friends and I took a girls trip to Cancun, Mexico and had the time of our lives at Grand Oasis. It was definitely a perk meeting the cute guys from Pennsylvania and hanging out with them. Senior year, 16 college kids decided to go out with a bang and visit Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
As it should be, my senior year trip to the Dominican Republic was hands down, the best vacation of my life. We stayed at Sunscape Dominican Beach and the staff, food and entertainment were outstanding… especially for the price we paid, it was a steal! With our talkative bunch, we met people from all around the globe and danced until we dropped every night. Doing the excursions was the best part because we got to meet locals and learn about their lifestyle – we did a dune buggy adventure, drove through plantations, went snorkeling, danced on a catamaran (I wasn’t kidding about dancing until we dropped) and got to experience parasailing.
If there is one thing I would recommend to anyone entering or currently in college, it’s this: enjoy it and don’t be afraid to have fun. These are the experiences that you will remember the most. You even get to practice your networking skills when meeting new people, which is important for any major (and a great selling point if asking for money from parents).
The good news is, you don’t have to drop a boatload of money on a great vacation! By using sites such as CheapCarribbean.com for booking the resort, flights and transfers, you will be in good hands at a great price. Don’t forget to purchase travel insurance! It may seem unnecessary when booking, but it’s well-worth-it when you’re in a different country and you need to visit a doctor. Or you get sick before the trip and need a refund. Excursions are known to be expensive, but not if you book with Viator. We found a combo pack that was the price of one excursion through many other companies, which we got to do two!
Be smart, do your research and have the time of your life. You’re only this age once, so do it right.