Lately it seems the only thing college students can talk about is spring break. If you’re like me, this can give you some genuine anxiety. I may or may not have called my mom crying about how stressed I am about spring break (I did… twice). It seems like everyone around me has their plans already set and paid for. Most were already halfway done with whatever spring break diet they were on! This led me to decide that preparing for spring break is a horrible process, similar to Darwin’s “survival of the fittest.” Here are the reasons why I resemble the little bird that ends up dead because I am not “fit” enough to survive.
1. Bikinis
Yeah, it’s a cliché spring break complaint, but seriously. I know it’s called “spring break,” but March is a winter month of hibernation. You are supposed to be able to store your extra coat of winter fat under a nice baggy sweatshirt. No one should be forced to wear a bikini during these hibernation months, especially as a college student who thrives on Jimmy Johns once (or three times) a week.
2. Ghostly Pale Skin (thank you winter!)
To you girls that have even a little bit of a tan year round, you are BLESSED. The rest of us either have to give ourselves skin cancer in the tanning bed, or spend the little money we have on tubes of smelly, sticky tanning products. And those products will probably end up making us match the color of the mimosas we’ll be drinking on the beach.
3. $$$$$$$
Yes, another cliché, but this list would be incomplete without it. You not only have to spend tons of money on a place to stay, but you also have to consider food and drinks. Most places also rack up the prices and security deposits just because they know it’s spring break. Money can also keep you from spending your spring break with your friends who might have a different spending range than you.
4. Expectations
I don’t expect to have a spring break like Vanessa Hudgens did in spring breakers. Actually, I would rather not have gun violence present. But it is hard not to have expectations about a college spring break trip. You want to have a good time while getting your money’s worth. People view this week as one of the main events of their college years, so obviously the bar will be set high.
5. Deciding Where to Go & Stay
I was looking all over the place basing decisions on cost, distance, and who would be where. My friends were picking places that varied from Cancun to Florida. On top of deciding a destination, you also have to pick between options like hotels, condos, or houses…yikes.
After my last pre-spring break meltdown, my roommate turned to me and said, “Katie you really need to get your priorities straight.” I then realized that none of this is crucial to life at all and I’m overstressing it. But, in the back of my mind I still hear James Franco whispering, “spring br-aake, spring br-aake fo’ever.”
HCXO,
Katie