I'm a junior in college. It's a very weird year. Some people seem to have their whole lives figured out, and some are still unsure of their majors. Regardless of which one of those people you are, there are a lot of things going on, and you feel out of control. Thankfully, spring break comes at just the perfect time.
Along with the feeling of my somewhat different year, I had a somewhat different spring break. When you're young, spring break is a time to relax with your family, whether that be going on a trip or just staying at home. I became accustomed to this all throughout middle school and high school... but then came college.
Spring break in college is very much a different type of break than your idea of a relaxing family vacation. For a lot of people, it means packing all your friends into one hotel room to keep the prices down and constant partying. Constant. It really isn't a break at all. I'm not saying this is bad, because I've done it and it's very fun, but it's also very tiring.
So, this year I took a different approach to spring break... a mix of both.
I was slow trying to plan something with my friends, so instead, I decided that I would just come home and have a relaxing break. This sounded great until I realized that 10 days at home with most of my friends being gone or busy would sadly not be the great vacation I thought it would be. That's where my lovely mom stepped in. She had the idea for us to take a little girls trip for a few days to Florida.
It might not sound like much, but it was honestly one of the best spring break vacations I've ever had. The trip wasn't anything fancy — we took a brutally early flight out Monday morning, stayed in a dinky little motel by the beach, and returned home on a late flight Wednesday night.
So, maybe you're wondering: How this was the best trip? For starters, there was no pressure to have a plan, make plans ahead of time, or even to look nice. We got up early in the morning, went to the beach, got lunch, went back to the beach, got dinner, and went to bed. Obviously, there were little things in between, but the main gist was just that.
SEE ALSO: From The Girl Who Didn't Skip The Party Stage
Not only did I feel completely relaxed, but I got to truly spend time with my mom. Not a quick dinner after a long drive home from school or sitting on the couch playing on the phone while she sat next to me. It was refreshing to spend time with someone I love so much. When you go to college, it's easy to get wrapped up in everything that's going on, and although I call my mom once a day (OK, maybe a few times), I forget how much I love hanging out with her.
Obviously being on the beach for a few days was nice too, but our little vacation gave me the best of both worlds. I got to have a fun spring break, just a bit differently than I usually would have. This time I didn't party so hard that my body hurt; instead, I gave my body the relief it needed.
I wouldn't have thought changing it up would give me so much joy, but sometimes you need a little change of pace.