I didn’t go home for spring break this year. Instead, I traveled with one of my clubs for part of the break, and was on campus after that. My friends and I were practically the only people left on campus during that time. Being on campus when everyone else was home brought with it some challenges, but it was honestly more fun than when everyone else was around.

For starters, campus was totally empty. Every time I walked some place, it’s dead silent, and I didn’t see anyone else on the streets or on the paths. The number of cars that were parked outside my dorm decreased from about twenty to almost none, and there were so few people that I never had to pause to wait for a car to go past before crossing the street.

My dorm was also strangely silent. Out of a 35 person hall, I was the only one at school during spring break. While this meant that I could store whatever I wanted in the communal fridge and freezer without labeling it, and meant that I could blast music as loudly as I wanted without anyone being able to hear it through the walls, it also meant that there was no one to kill cockroaches for me when there was one in the bathroom or hallway. Perhaps the greatest challenge of spring break was killing the cockroach that was right next to my favorite shower in the bathroom, just so that I could take a shower before I started my day.

It was also difficult to eat during spring break. All the dining halls were closed, so my friends and I were left to fend for ourselves all week. We had to make a trip to the grocery store to pick up some snacks and microwaveable meals for ourselves, which made us feel scarily like adults (especially since I bought carrots and hummus for a snack - only real adults actually buy and eat vegetables).

But it was also kind of fun to be there when no one else was. We had the campus to ourselves, which meant we could do whatever we wanted or be as loud as we wanted to. Since it was spring break, we didn’t have to do any homework, which meant we could hang out all the time. If I were at home, I’d have to drive places to hang out with friends, but at school, they’re just a short walk away, and there was nothing stopping me from seeing them whenever I felt like it. We could watch movies, play games, and stay up late talking, because no one was around to enforce quiet hours or make us feel guilty for not doing schoolwork.

Honestly, I had more fun being at school during spring break than I would’ve had at home, and even more fun than I usually have at school, simply because of how empty it was. So while there were some challenges, it was mostly fun, and I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.