Don’t have any dream vacays or special destinations this spring break? I got you girl! Here’s my top 10 list of non-vacation spring break activities to avoid all the FOMO.
- GET THAT BAG UP
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Instead of wasting away your time and energy in bed rotting during this week of free time, you can still spend it productively by making more moola! If you have a hometown job, try picking up a few shifts. Not only will this decrease your week-long boredom, but this means more Starbucks Refreshers, Sephora runs, and wiggle room to shop online. Who knows, you may just get lucky and receive a decent tip from a loyal customer!
- GET THAT GLOW UP
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Hair, nails, makeup, the whole package! Eating at home, having the freedom to walk into your favorite salon or nail shop, and your at-home gym routine, can make a huge difference in your confidence and how you feel upon your arrival back to campus the following week. Go shock everyone!
- GET YOUR TAN ON
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Don’t worry about your friend’s Instagram story of them soaking in the Miami or Maui sun. Step outside, and you’ll still feel the same sun on your skin for free! Laying out in the sun every day can increase your tint, making you glow without leaving your home. Between 10AM and 4PM is your prime time for the best UV, ranging anywhere from 6-11 (the higher the number, the better). Remember to wear sunscreen, tanning oil, or browning lotion WITH SPF!!! You’ll come back to Pitt looking fresh out of the Bahamas, trust!
- CLEAN YOUR ROOM
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When traveling back-and-forth between school and home, there’s no way that room is spotless! Start small. Pick up after yourself, do last year’s laundry, look under your bed for scraps. Next, make your bed with clean sheets, spray down all your counter surfaces, and organize all desk, vanity, and dresser items. PLEASE go through that overflowing closet of yours. Donate, keep, or sell, you don’t need it all. Finish by vacuuming, dimming your lights, and spraying your room with your signature scent!
- REVISIT OLD HOBBIES
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Simply cleaning your room can help you find things that will naturally spike your interest again. I rediscovered my old acoustic guitar in my closet the minute I started organizing that thing! I got side tracked and played all my favorite songs that I first learned, mostly beachy songs, which made me feel like I’m on a vacay anyway. If you fear you don’t have enough time to pick up a unique hobby this spring break, the old ones you had before college are still there to pick you back up!
- ENJOY FRIENDS AND FAMILY
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Take in all the moments and new memories you’re gonna make with those you haven’t seen since Thanksgiving! This is a great time to reconnect, debrief, tea talk, anything! Seeing family and old friends after months on end of crazy college plots, characters, and classes are topics everyone will wanna hear about. In the midst of these new memories with everyone while home for spring break, you can reminisce, laugh, and cry over the old ones this semester. Get all of your feelings out about all the frustrating, funny, heartbreaking and humbling moments. Just enjoy their company as much as they are yours!
- FIND A NEW RECIPE YOU LOVE
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Cooking, baking, and indulging in your favorite home recipes can be some of the most impossible tasks to do in a dorm room. So take advantage of your real kitchen at home and accessible ingredients, and get to cookin’, good lookin’! When I’m home, I love baking brownies with my mom, making acai bowls, or any sweet treat really. I also love the opportunity to make dinner at home rather than just microwaving quick meals as I would at school. Pinterest, Lemon8, and TikTok have so many different recipes and communities of women who love to cook! Just type what you’re craving and endless variations will be available at your fingertips!
- RESTOCK YOUR COLLEGE GROCERIES, CLOSET AND DECOR
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I’m sure everything in that dusty old dorm of yours is expired by now… let’s restock! Go find your favorite meals to cook and buy the ingredients needed. You may be spending a little bit much at Trader Joe’s, but you are actually saving hundreds of dollars in the long run. Meals at your favorite college restaurants, not included in your meal plan, rack up QUICK! If you aren’t budgeting correctly or limiting yourself to what you indulge in, several meals can cost you your bank account. For seasonal changes, swap your closet for more spring appropriate clothing as the weather will warm up soon after spring break! Also, forgotten clothes from home can feel like a brand new closet at school. If you still have holiday decor overwhelming your room, make sure to swap that out for some florals or pastels to welcome the new season.
- SHOP TIL’ YOU DROP
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While at home, it’s always fun to go to your local mall with all of your top shops! If you worked this spring break, got a good grade on an exam, or ran out of your favorite products, just go on that shopping spree. Money eventually comes back, and if splurging on some cute tops makes you happy, then that’s valid! It’s all okay in moderation. Go with a friend, your mom, significant other or just by yourself if you’re seeking some “you time!”
- SELF CARE
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The best “you time” of all is treating yourself! After a long day of cleaning, shopping, or working, self-care is just as important as when you’re grinding at school. I recommend taking an hour out of your morning, day or night, just for you! While everything on this list is considered a form of self-care, I’m talking about unwinding from it all. An everything shower, lighting some candles, sipping on an ice-cold Stanley in fresh, clean sheets, and watching your favorite show are my favorite ways to reward myself for getting through the day while recharging myself up for the next! Take the time off to be alone with yourself, enjoy the little things about being home for spring break, and not at a hotel in a random state for an expensive annual activity people like to call “vacation.”
As long as your activities don’t consist of homework overload or opening Canvas, it’s been a spring break well spent!