When my friends and I decided to go to Miami for Spring Break, I pictured spending luxurious beach days tanning in the hot Florida sun.
In reality, a huge storm was rolling through, and it rained almost the whole time we were there. I thought it would be ridiculous to bring my winter coat to Miami, but it was so cold and windy that I wish I had.
We were really disappointed at first because we had spent so much on flights and a hotel, but we decided to make the best of our trip regardless. By the end of it, we realized there are so many other things you can do in Miami besides going to the beach.
- Go Out For Brunch
There are so many nice places to go out for brunch in Miami! We went to Limonada Bar & Brunch every morning because we loved it so much there, but it would also be nice to try a different one every day.
The inside of the Limonada restaurant was its own little paradise complete with beach chairs and a pool. We took our time eating breakfast and spent a long time there just relaxing.
- Take a Nap
This sounds pretty boring but after months of non-stop schoolwork, taking a nap for a few hours in a comfortable bed was exactly what I needed.
- Go Shopping
There are tons of shops on Lincoln Road, like Aerie, Forever 21, and Victoria’s Secret. You could easily spend a day just shopping at stores there. There are also many other shopping centers like this in Miami.
- Meet New People
There are a ton of other people your age from all different places who are just as disappointed by the weather as you are. We met people who went to UNC and University of New Haven that were all really nice. It was fun talking to them and learning things about their colleges and their trips to Miami.
- 18+ Clubs
During Spring Break, there are a ton of indoor 18+ options for clubs pretty much every weekday night. It is a lot of fun because most people going to them are around your age and want to have fun like you do. Even if you don’t want to meet new people, it is always nice to let loose and dance with your friends.
- Spend Time with your Friends
Even though you see your friends a lot, school is really demanding and it can be hard to find space in your schedules to just spend quality time together. If you are having a blast and learning new things about each other, it doesn’t matter if you are on the beach or not.
Although I would have liked to relax in the sand, my friends and I learned a lot more about each other trying to figure out other things to do instead.
Redefining our expectations of what vacation should look like helped us turn what would have been a miserable trip into a memorable getaway we’ll never forget.