Who’s ready to hit up the bars, lay in the sand and flirt with cute beach babes all week long?? Well, when everyone else is partying ‘til they’re purple, I’ll be at home. Working. Besides, spending Spring Break on the beach was SOOOOO last year. Or, if you’re anything like me, Spring Break has never been a “celebrated holiday,” rather a time where I can de-stress for a week before I go back to my normal obligations at school. But, what do you do when you’re not going away and you can’t afford to go home, either?
(credits to https://unsplash.com/rpnickson)
Here’s some ideas of what you can do when you’re stuck in your college town for vacation:
1.) Go Tanning
Just because you aren’t going to the beach doesn’t mean you can’t look the part. Personally, I tan year-round because otherwise I’d look like a marshmallow without the sexy skin tone and the hot beach bod. At the tanning salon in my college town, they have $1 days where you only pay $1 to lay in any bed that you choose. But, if you’re not lucky enough to have that, even just laying in a bed will cost you around $8-$10 dollars, so if you’re looking to spend some Spring Break money and want to feel like you’re at the beach or sleeping under the sun, a day or two at the tanning salon is a must.
2.) Take a Walk in the Arboretum
Almost every college town has some type of garden area that is separated from the rest of campus. If you’re just in the mood to go outside and enjoy the nice weather that Spring Break has to offer, ask a friend, or family member to join you. Alone by yourself on break? Bring your headphones and go for a jog, or call a friend from back home and catch up with them. Also, who doesn’t love looking at the beautiful scenery of flowers, trees and wildlife?
3.) Visit the Dog Park
Our college town has a dog park and for anyone who is looking to raise their spirits, this location is prime.. Not only do you have a nice, wide open space, but the space is filled with all types of dogs. AND THERE’S ALSO THESE TWO GIRLS THAT BRING THEIR CATS ON A LEASH THAT GO THERE OFTEN, TOO. So, if you’re a dog person (or even a cat person) I highly recommend finding one near you.
4.) Visit your Local Animal Shelter
Speaking of Animals, why not do some good for the community and volunteer at your local animal shelter? This is a great opportunity for you to get ahead on some community service hours, while also playing around with cute animals. And if you haven’t been there before, it’s a great place to interact with people you would have never met who share a common liking for pets, like you do.
5.) Shadowing
For all the Education majors out there, it never hurts to spend some time shadowing or observing teachers around the area. I know that the city I’m in will have Spring Break off the same time that the college students do, but that doesn’t mean that towns close by will. Take advantage of your time off by planning ahead. And shadowing doesn’t just have to involve Education majors. Although Spring Break isn’t long enough to do an internship, professionals almost never say no to having potential newcomers see what a day in the life of their work looks like. Feel free to contact some businesses or organizations that might interest you.
6.) Visit the Nearby Waterin’ Hole
My school is 20 minutes away from Land Between the Lakes, or known around here as LBL. So, if you’re close by even a small body of water, take advantage of it. Grab some friends and go to the lake for a day. There’s so many things to do: kayak, hike, canoe, or picnic. You can even get up early one day to watch the sunrise.
(credits to https://unsplash.com/seemoris)
7.) Reorganize & De-Stress
At this point in the semester, I’m usually contemplating skipping classes, am starting to become lazy when turning in assignments and feel as though I’m still only getting four hours of sleep at night. Spring Break is all about catching up on what you lost, so take advantage of your resources, especially if you’re staying in your college town! You have the library, a computer lab, and all of the academic resources right at your fingertips. So, when all of your friends are out partying until dawn, you’ll be catchin’ up on your Zzz’s and staying ahead on your school work.
Although it might not sound like the most entertaining Spring Break experience, be thankful you won’t be waking up with a hangover each morning and realize that this is one week out of fifty-two, 7 days out of 365, that you MIGHT not spend going out. Take advantage of the time that you have off to get back on track and I promise that this week will go by with ease.
Thumbnail credits to https://unsplash.com/cristina_gottardi