For most college students, spring break is basically an excuse to get together with all your best friends and take a weeklong beach vacation/party. However, for those of us who can’t make it to the beaches of Florida or Cancun, there are still plenty of other awesome ways to spend your week of mid-semester freedom.
1. Go on a mission trip
Even though going on a mission trip definitely wouldn’t be a relaxing way to spend your spring break and you'll probably be exhausted by the end of the week, it would still be an awesome experience. Besides, it would be much more rewarding than sitting at home feeling sorry for yourself because you can't be on the beach.
2. Go on a road trip.
With the right people and a good plan, a road trip could be the perfect way to spend your spring break. Pick a few places to visit, grab some snacks and hit the road for the week.
3. Visit a new city
If you’re looking for a change of scenery that’s still relatively close to home, pick a new city to visit that’s close by. Whether you want to visit a museum, try a new restaurant or just walk around, visiting a new place can make your spring break exciting, even if you’re only travelling an hour or two from home.
4. Spend time getting to know your home state
Sometimes, there's no place like home. Whether you live on the East Coast, the West Coast or anywhere in between, chances are there are at least a few cool things that you’ve never experienced right in your own backyard. Take advantage of your week off to try something new in your hometown or state.
5. Visit a national or state park
Whether it’s Yosemite in California or Acadia in Maine, the U.S. has plenty of beautiful national parks that make it almost impossible to find an excuse to stay inside all break and watch Netflix. So take advantage of them and get outside to explore. If you’re not close enough to a national park, there are plenty of state parks with gorgeous hiking, too!
Even if you won’t be freshly tanned from hanging out on the beach in Cancun with every other college student in the United States, if you’re creative and do your research, you can still make the most of your time off. Speaking from personal experience, spring breaks spent exploring your home state, volunteering with a mission trip or road tripping with your friends will create great experiences and give you awesome stories to rival the ones your friends come back from the beach with.
