It’s mid February and everyone is sharing their spring break plans. Cue the excited anticipation of consuming ridiculous amounts of tequila, pre mourning over the amount of money that will be tossed out the window, and make sure to double tap all of those throw back Thursday instagrams.
There are some lonely students, however, who may not be leaving Gainesville for this week of turmoil that we all so look forward to. In the event that you are one of these potted plants that will be parked here enjoying the Gainesville sunshine (hopefully), I’m here to tell you that there’s no need to feel inferior to your rowdy peers. Whether you’re headed home or planning on spending a few lonely days here at the swamp, your spring break can still thrive along with the rest of them.
Relaxation Time
A week off from school with a few friends or family members is exactly the thing you need to finish spring semester strong. Take this time to casually swim in the pool and enjoy the sunshine rather than topple headfirst into knee deep water along with three hundred college students all crammed on a beach somewhere.Relaxation time involves a lot of mundane activities that we college students don’t get to waste much time on, like reading a book, starting a new show, or enjoying other hobbies that took a backseat once we became so busy. The hype surrounding the recent House of Cards release means I’ll probably be spending my spare days at home hitting the next button every time the credits unfortunately hit the screen.
Via: gobluetours.com
Visit Friends
Chances are, you have friends attending schools all across the U.S who have alternate weeks off than ours. What better way to spend a spring break than load the car with snacks, good music, random articles of clothing, and head out to experience an entirely new college town. Imagine a place full of new people, bars, and local restaurants without the party your face off spring break cloud pressuring you everywhere you go. This is a chance to reconnect with old friends and still get drunk/eat a lot of food without spending a ton of money or risking your life in Mexico.
Enjoy Gainesville
This is the time to delve into those activities you always planned on doing but never got around to. Spend an extra day or two here visiting the prairie, paddle boarding at Lake Wauberg, or eating at Satchels without a forty-minute wait as an appetizer. Check out the Gainesville Scene lunch bunch for some more dining options that definitely beat the ramen and easy mac you’ve been destroying your body with the past few semesters. You could even head to midtown with a few friends and experience a less crowded vibe at the bars. If it’s really awful, you’ll make sure to make plans for next year.
Via: recsports.ufl.edu
A week of solitude sounds bad at first, but a (small) part of me wishes I’d chosen the lonely life of relaxation. The pressure of school results in the pressure to celebrate the moment you have a break, and so really you spend most of your time recovering, studying in the library, or working. An entire week break provides endless possibilities for us to sit back and chill at home, experience a new college town, or dive in to those Gainesville activities we’ve always wanted to try.
Have a happy and somewhat safe spring break!
Featured photo courtesy of: thegreenhead
