Last week was my spring break, and as I scrolled through Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter, I saw all my friends and classmates traveling the world. Countless pictures of beach landscapes, boomerangs of historical landmarks and nighttime videos of them dancing in clubs around the world filled my newsfeeds. While I was incredibly jealous to see all of my friends experience different cities and cultures, I found comfort in my own sofa smack in the middle of my living room.
For probably the fifth year in a row, I spent my Spring Break at home. Granted, home is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but my own little suburb is bland and perhaps boring. Nothing really happens there, just gated communities and strip malls. Yet, I had an amazing Spring Break.
When you go home for spring break, there is minimal stress. No need to buy all these outfits, worry about losing your passport, lug luggage around everywhere and learn a new language. All these things are fun, I live for buying new outfits, I love the adrenaline rush that comes with traveling, and learning new languages and cultures is my favorite thing in the world. But spring break is just that, a break.
Stuck in the middle of weeks that are filled to the brim with events, assignments, and exams, I need a week to settle down. I need a week to eat things that aren't cereal and Chick-Fil-A. I need to fall asleep somewhere that isn't the library. For my Spring Break, I want to relax, and so I went home.
At home, I slept in everyday, I didn't stress at all. Not to mention, I got to spend time with my friends and family from home. Perhaps I'm trying to excuse the fact I didn't have any money saved up to travel over spring break, so my Instagram feed suffered. Or maybe, I'm secretly a homebody, and I really enjoyed having a relaxed, stress free spring break.
On the days I did do something other than binge TV in bed, I got to explore the town I've called home for the past 18 years. Sometimes we live somewhere for years, but never actually experience it. Even the most cookie cutter of towns have their secrets and charms. Whether it be the food, the Denny's night life, or the same old get-togethers with the same old friends, our home towns are special.
Going back home for Spring Break is almost like going back in time. At least for me, March was always my favorite time of year. Back home, in March, these beautiful yellow flowers began to bloom everywhere. The trees by the golf course down my block, the trees that lined the basketball courts at my elementary school, and the trees that covered my car in the high school parking lot. They were all ridden in yellow flowers. Spring Break has always been those yellow flowers, and I cant imagine any other Spring Break.
