This past spring break, I decided to do something different; I went on a missions trip. A group of my friends from Madison and I went down to Surfside Beach, Texas and helped with hurricane relief following Hurricane Harvey. Though it seems boring and not a fun way to spend spring break, it was actually one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.
With that being said, here are five reasons you should consider serving on your next vacation:
1. You can do it with friends
I got to serve with some of the people I am closest with. It was such an amazing experience to be helping others with people who I am most comfortable with, and people who I love the most. If anything, serving together made us closer!
2. You feel like you are a part of something bigger
During my time in Texas, I built genuine relationships with the people I was helping. I soon had a deeper understanding of the impact Hurricane Harvey caused. Though it was a year and a half ago, families are still out of their homes and struggling. They were very grateful for what we were doing for them but I was even more grateful to have met them.
3. You can stay on the beach
This spring break trip was still a vacation. We stayed in houses along the beach, and we got to wake up to a beautiful ocean view every morning. We also had lots of free time and spent it playing spikeball on the beach or just laying out in the sun!
4. It’s a pretty inexpensive way to vacation
The glorious thing about serving during your vacation is that you can travel cheaply. My whole vacation cost me under $250. That’s a crazy good deal! Seriously, serving and traveling is the best of both worlds.
5. You grow more as a person
By sacrificing my time to serve people in need, I learned how to be more selfless with my resources. This experience was a great self-reflection as I realized I could spend more of my time and money helping others. It was definitely a growing experience, and I am so glad I did it.
I really can’t say it enough — this spring break was one of the best trips I have ever been on. I highly encourage you, even if you’re just slightly interested, to consider serving during your next spring break!