Some of you went on service trips, others went to visit friends at other schools, some were lucky enough to jet set off to Europe for a week, and others raged in Mexico on the beach. I decided to go home for spring break, and I regret absolutely nothing. Here are five reasons why.
1. Seeing Your Pets.
There is absolutely nothing better than walking in your front door and having your dog jump all over you and almost knock you off your feet. You love college and everything about it, but if you could change one thing, it would be that "no pets in your dorm room" rule. Just like having your dog greet you at your door, fewer things are better than snuggling up with your cat and falling asleep watching a movie. There is nothing worse than being far away from your animals, and fewer things are better than being able to see them again after long periods of separation.
2. Your Own Bed
You have your state of the art Tempur-Pedic mattress pad and a million pillows on your twin sized bed at school, but no matter what you do, nothing will ever replace your big queen sized bed at home. You're the only one that has ever slept in it, minus the occasional sleepover, and you don't freak out every time your sheets come up and you accidentally touch the mattress. It's almost as if your bed knows you and your sleeping needs. You get to sleep in a quiet room away from the drunken debauchery that you hear on any given night at school and sink away into the one place that is truly yours.
3. You Don't Pay for Anything
If you're an only child, breaks are the best. Your parents have empty nest syndrome and they take you to your favorite restaurants, stores, anywhere you want. Being home is a special time for your parents so they feel the need to treat you to all of your favorite things. They pay for your flights and your food. It's like a free vacation.
4. High School Friends
Since spring break is only a week long and doesn't fall on any major holidays, you get to see your high school friends. You don't have to worry about that family Christmas Party or going to religious services and sacrificing a night out at the bars with your high school friends. You get to catch up on all of the things you've missed: the sorority/fraternity they've joined, who is dating who, etc. Most of all, you have been in each other's lives for a long time, and no matter how old you get, not seeing them every day or weekend still feels very strange. With summer coming, you all realize you're going to be in different cities and spring break is the last time you're going to all be in the same place at the same time, especially because you all get out of school at different times. You hit up your old high school hangouts, gossip about the same people you gossiped about in high school, and nothing feels different. It's always good to go back to your roots.
5. Your Parents
We all love the freedom that college brings. You can eat whatever you want, go to bed whenever you want, and if you want to go out on a Monday, no one is stopping you. As much as we love this freedom, however, we all miss our parents at some point or another. Whether you want to admit it or not is up to you. Every now and then, it's good to go home, get a hug from your mom, and curl up to watch a hockey game with your dad. Your parents got you to this point in your life and a little family time can do everyone some good. Remember to tell your parents that you love them, even if you didn't go home for break.
And with that, spring break has come to a close. You might be recovering from your 48 hour-long hangover or lack of sleep from a service trip but now it's time to go back to reality. See you all on the other side.
