Spring break for college students is notoriously known for tropical beaches, fresh tans and constant parties. As many of us know, though, we don't all get the chance to join these tropical getaways. Many of us return to our boring hometowns for a week mostly consisting of lying in our beds, binging on Netflix and procrastinating homework assignments.
I live on Cape Cod, and for those of you who only associate the Cape with being a warm and salty getaway in the summertime, well you're pretty much right. During the off season, many local businesses are closed, and to coincide with typical New England weather patterns it is usually pretty cold out until at least the month of May. These factors don't leave much for a college student to do while home on break. Thankfully for me, one of my best friends joined me for the 10 day break, and I've found that there are definitely some perks to having your best friend home with you on spring break.
The road trip home is a lot more fun
Only a true friend will listen to you sing in the car for hours on end and still want to spend a week with you. If they're a best friend, they will probably sing along too.
Showing them your favorite places
I was not only able to take my friend to a few of my favorite stores and restaurants, she also got to see where I went to high school, where I work over the summer, and my favorite hometown beaches.
Your family becomes their family
This week my friend has become even further accustomed to the people I'm related to. My grandparents and cousins have all told me they understand from her personality why I am such good friends with her, and she even helped my aunt and I throw a family party during our first weekend home. (That's my friend in the blue vest, stuck in a sea of my cousins)
They develop a close relationship with your dog
By the end of the week, my dog was cuddling with and begging my friend for scraps at the dinner table just like a member of the family.
Even the boring parts are less boring
As I mentioned before, there is only so much to do during an entire week at home. But there's definitely been a study done somewhere which has confirmed that even just spending an entire day in bed watching Netflix is more fun when your best friend is by your side.
You have a partner in crime to do stupid things with
As someone who doesn't have siblings, my friend has basically become my sister at school anyway. Having her with me at home was only an extension of this. When the boredom really struck us over break, no idea was too crazy or too dumb for either of us to go along with.
The things you consider ordinary at home become new adventures
My friend is from Connecticut and had only been to the Cape once before, so the things that are just a part of my normal routine at home were all brand new to her. When I'm on my way home at the end of the day, I will almost always stop at a beach and try to catch a sunset if the timing is right. Driving to the beach in the morning after breakfast and then dashing across the sand to see the sunset on the way home at the end of the day was a whole new experience for my friend, and because of that it was different for me too.
Even though my spring break didn't require a plane ride or a passport, it was still a great week away from school. At this point in spring semester, most of us are ready for a short break from homework, but not a break from our friends. Taking my best friend home with me for spring break proved to be the perfect solution to the spring semester slump.
