For most of Greek life across the country, going to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for spring break is a rite of passage during sophomore year. Hundreds of students from a variety of colleges are brought to one area for eight days and seven nights of pure relaxation and fun.
1. Tiers are irrelevant.
You are not wearing your letters at all times here. Rather, you do not know the majority of people here. Instead of knowing the fraternity or sorority everyone is in based on a social schedule or a t-shirt, you have to guess. It's nice to know that no one cares what letters you wear, but instead, just that you are all a part of the Greek community.
2. There is food worse than the dining hall.
The food in PV makes Canyon Pizza look like a five star restaurant, butter seems to be its own food group and mystery meat makes an appearance in the form of hamburgers. But the biggest mystery of all, why do they serve hot dogs with every meal?
3. You can make up what the dollar is worth.
If you go to get pizza next to the hotel, you are getting 14 pesos for your one dollar. Odd though because the conversion is currently 17.8 pesos for your one dollar.
4. Wheel chairs are not only used for the injured.
Each day there are a few people who go a little too hard at the beach, or even in the morning pool party. Those people need to get back to their room safely. The kind people at the hotel provide wheelchairs for those people.
5. Frats should have mopping service, too.
Going through the clubs in PV, you realize that there are so many hard workers to keep the environment clean for partygoers. At first, you think they are the waiters for bottle service, however, you soon realize that they are there to keep the floor clean (and usually your feet clean too) by mopping the floor--most appreciated! Your shoes are never sticking to the floor due to unknown substances.
6. All inclusive does not mean free.
If you go on vacation with your family, you know that your sheets get changed everyday. However, if you want your sheets changed that costs money! You want towels for the pool? That's $10 for a towel card.
7. GoPros can be your worst enemy.
Anything embarrassing you do during the day, there is a boy with a GoPro who is watching you. Sometimes it is funny and sometimes you hope the camera was not actually running.
8. PV loves Penn State.
The Penn State fight song was played approximately five times every day and twice a night at the club. If you were an outsider, you would not know that there were other schools on this trip.
9. You sleep during the day, not at night.
You are out by the pool bar at 10 a.m. and you are coming back from the clubs at 4 a.m. Your 6-9 p.m. nap is the longest time period you will have to sleep and it will save your life.
10. You peaked this week.
For eight days you partied, made friends, relaxed, tanned, swam, were in a different country and made memories to scar you and last a lifetime. In today's college slang, we call that peaking.