There is so much pressure surrounding making your spring break exciting that simply going home can sometimes feel lackluster. Still, as someone who went on a beach vacation last spring break, I honestly ended up craving some time at home. While traveling is sure to create amazing memories, it can also be exhausting, and just doesn’t offer the same comfort and mental reset that visiting home does. Therefore, this spring break, do not give in to social pressures and feelings of conformity with traveling to some crazy destination when there are so many reasons to look forward to being home.
1. Earn back some of the money you dropped at Trin
As a broke college student, “free” is my favorite word. While I can guarantee that traveling over spring break will only drain your bank account, staying home over spring break is usually not only free, but it can also make you some more money. Some jobs that you may have worked over the summer will allow you to put in some hours over breaks, and that can be a huge benefit to going home. For me, I always like hitting up my old babysitting clients. They enjoy seeing me again, and I love that babysitting is an easy way to make good money — and hey, I don’t mind the no-tax thing either.
2. Restock your college wardrobe
Though new outfits may not be in the budget, each season at the University seems to inevitably bring a need for new clothes — whether that be due to the weather or upcoming special occasions in your calendar. Spring break at home is a great time to evaluate what clothes you need and transfer some of your home closet to your college wardrobe. For instance, perhaps you need to bring back the perfect sundress for Foxfield or more pairs of shorts to have as the weather gets warmer. You can also bring home your heavy-duty winter clothes because — hopefully — there won’t be any more intense snow days after the break.
3. Tackle a closet reorganization
Speaking of clothes, I know for a fact that no one’s home closet is in pristine condition, and if it is, congratulations! You win. My closet, however, looks like it just went through a robbery and was ransacked by thieves. Unfortunately, I am the said thief, coming home each break and sifting through all my clothes to see what I want to take back to college. If I dedicated some time to sorting and reorganizing, this tedious process would be much more efficient. Plus, you never know what forgotten gems you may find hiding in the crannies of your closet or what items really need to be donated or tossed out.
4. Spend time with your favorite furry friends
While there are various animals to be found on Grounds and even at some travel destinations, it’s probably hard to come by your own beloved family pet anywhere but home. Though I keep up with my family and friends from home via social media and phone communications, I cannot maintain the same bond that way with my precious goldendoodle, Teddy, which makes the in-person time so important. Trust me, I will be jealous of anyone going home to cuddle and play with their furry bestie this break.
5. Revisit past loves
If Valentine’s Day did not work out with any fish in the University’s sea, then the logical next step is to change ponds. College can help facilitate change in people who may have had some maturing to do back in high school, so maybe there are some characters from your high school days who deserve second chances. After all, as long as they do not also attend the University, you really have nothing to lose. Send that midnight text, if only for the plot. You never know where reuniting with your lost hometown love may lead.
6. Savor your mom’s cooking or hometown restaurant
Even if you are among the small percentage of the University’s population that, for some odd reason, enjoys on-Grounds dining, I would hope that you still find your mom, dad or other family member’s cooking to be superior. Personally, I am always craving my mom’s white chicken chili and would love to be going home to enjoy it. Or, maybe you’ve had that one hometown restaurant on your mind — it hits the spot every time and brings back a flood of childhood memories. For me, that place is an Italian restaurant named Franco’s, which has the best chicken piccata Whatever type of food you are enjoying when you go home, chances are that it will be more comforting and often cheaper than the food you’ll eat while traveling.
7. Finally heal from the frat flu
After weeks of suffering thanks to the notorious frat flu, home sounds like the perfect prescription for me right now. No matter how many nasal decongestants and sprays I use, I think the only thing that would help me to fully heal right now would be days worth of beauty sleep in my own bed and an intermission from the ceaseless hubbub of Grounds. While I love the socialization that both college and traveling bring, the lack of downtime causes me to continuously get sick. Plus, there is nothing better than being taken care of by your parents after having to take care of yourself independently while at college.
8. Catch up on self-care appointments
Whenever I go home, I take advantage of all the self-care appointments I can — and it helps that if I am home, my parents will occasionally offer to cover the cost. While my favorite tasks are getting my hair cut and nails done at my favorite salons, there always seems to be a check-up doctor or dentist appointment that I am due for around this time of year. This is your sign to book those appointments now to lock in your self-care upkeep, just in case everyone else in your hometown has the same idea that you do.
9. Binge that Netflix show everyone has been talking about
I am not sure if this is a universal experience, but I have had no time to watch television shows since being in college. This is coming from someone who watched every show imaginable during high school — from “Game of Thrones” to “Gossip Girl” — and would have considered myself a television connoisseur. However, in college, I seem to always have either an event happening or feel obligated to do something more productive. If you do not travel over break, it could be a great time to finally binge your comfort show again. The ones at the top of my current bucket list include the second season of “The Night Agent” and “The Empress.”
10. Get ahead of the social media-induced FOMO
While this is less of an activity than a plea for you to save yourself, this may be the most important suggestion to pay attention to. In order to avoid FOMO, which stands for the fear of missing out, staying off of social media is key. In fact, I would recommend deleting all forms of social media while you are home. This way, your first sense of relaxation in months will not be ruined by scrolling past an unsolicited group photo of people you know on a tropical island. Though I am sure you know that social media typically only shows the highlights of experiences, sometimes it is better to avoid feelings of jealousy by stopping yourself from seeing those photos at all.
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