Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Life > Experiences

My First and Last Spring Break: Bahamas Edition

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mass Amherst chapter.

Wow. I never thought I’d say it, but I finally got to go on a vacation during my college career. After years of paying for flights and ending up in my hometown bedroom each time, I am finally able to say I went on a spring break. 

study abroad spain barcelona palm trees beach summer sunny tropical
Cameron Smith / Her Campus

This was a process that started in November. I received a text, and it was at that time that my friends told me they were buying their tickets. The conversation had been up in the air for a while, but we had finally made a decision. Bahamas.

An important thing to note is that flying is not my thing; I struggle even thinking about it. Once I’m in the air, I am fine — but all the time that surrounds it, not so much. This was also my first time flying in four years, as well as my first time out of the country.

As we sat in our seats on the plane, I looked over at my boyfriend, terrified. I had already warned him I would in fact be squeezing his hand during the entire take-off and landing, but I wasn’t sure that was enough. As we took off, I squeezed his hand for dear life. The good thing is that he’s used to my anxiety, so he didn’t mind. 

As we arrived in The Bahamas, I became eager to see what it had in store. We went through a spring break website, meaning most of our transportation and outings were already set up for us before we got there, so this took a lot of stress off the trip. Walking into the hotel, I thought it was absolutely beautiful; the architecture was much different than anything I had seen previously in America.

Then we got to the room. That was not so much fun. We noticed we were unable to open our sliding door, so we told one of the workers, and we had to wait an hour before maintenance came in. During this time, I looked out the window and prepared for the beach and pool. Everything seemed amazing. 

Each day, we were provided with breakfast, lunch, and dinner from the hotel. During lunch, they had an outdoor grill located right off the beach. We had a variety of choices, but unfortunately, I didn’t like most of them. For that reason, I had a hot dog and fries each day for lunch. I hope to never eat a hotdog again. 

I had a lot of friends I knew going to the same location. We were able to hang out on the beach or in the pool whenever we wanted. I think the best part was knowing I could walk up to my room at any time if I ever needed a break. But because I was with my friends, I didn’t need many breaks. I feel as though this entire vacation brought my friends and me closer together. It also forced me to create new friends. I struggle to talk to people I don’t know, but when you’re at a resort for five days straight, and you see these people every day, it’s hard not to become friends. 

BRERC EXT aerial 2jpg?width=1024&height=1024&fit=cover&auto=webp

If I could recommend one thing to any future college student, I would say to plan a spring break with your friends. It doesn’t have to be expensive or tropical — just a change of scenery. It matters less where you are but rather who you’re with. I am glad to say that this spring break trip was worth the wait.

Can’t get enough of HC UMass Amherst? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, listen to us on Spotify, like us on Facebook, and read our latest Tweets!

Sydney Dion

U Mass Amherst '23

Communication Disorders Major