So, let me set the scene: for one reason or another—be it dwindling finances or simply needing more time to study—you’ve decided to stay home for spring break. Gasp! What should you do? Lie on the floor and sob? Scroll through your Instagram feed with a glass of wine as you are slowly consumed by spring break FOMO? Worry not, my dear collegiettes! Taking a “staycation” for spring break is not nearly as bad as it seems. In fact, here are six reasons why spring break staycations are totally better than your run-of-the-mill trip to Panama City Beach.
- It’s cheap!
Need I say more? This is college, people. Almost everybody is on some kind of budget, so any chance to save some money is really a blessing in disguise, no matter what it might feel like in the moment.
- There’s no prep time.
Let’s face it: packing sucks! There never seems to be enough room in your suitcase for all of your clothes, and don’t even get me started on all of those crazy airline luggage restrictions! And then, of course it’s inevitable that you’re going to forget something. When you stay at home for spring break, you don’t have to mess with any of that!
- No travel hassels!
Anyone who has ever been on an airplane knows that, even under the best of circumstances, flying is stressful. When things go wrong, such as flight delays or—heaven forbid!—cancellations, that already stressful flying experience becomes a million times more stressful. Folks who choose to stay at home for spring break get to skip all of that craziness.
- It gives you an opportunity to learn more about your hometown.
Fun fact: my mom has lived in Chattanooga for almost all of her life, and she’s still never been to Rock City! When you’re a local, you tend to pass over a lot of your town’s signature attractions, but a staycation gives you the perfect opportunity to try a few out. It’s a fun way to get a new perspective on a place you’re really familiar with, and who knows? You might just find a new favorite restaurant or hangout!
- If you really need to, you can catch up on work.
Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to go into your spring break completely free from schoolwork. Sometimes, you need to use that extra time to wrap up an essay or study for an upcoming test. Nobody has the time or motivation to work while they’re on vacation in some exotic locale, but when you stay at home for the break, you actually have the time to knock your schoolwork out and maybe even get ahead!
- You have time to actually relax.
Am I the only one who kind of finds vacations stressful? Between all the crazy packing and traveling woes and the sheer stress of navigating an unfamiliar place, by the time I actually adjust to wherever I’ve traveled, it’s already time to go home! With a staycation, there’s none of that. From the moment it starts, you are in instant relax mode, and you can stay that way until spring break, tragically comes to an end.
So, what do you think? Are you for staycations or against them? What are your plans for spring break?