Nothing is more exciting to a college student than spring break. After what seemed like an endless 6 weeks of stressing over classes, midterms, and the mountain of essays, not to mention being involved on campus and/or any collegiate or intramural sports, there comes a week of relaxation. One thing you don’t seem to realize is that along with leaving all the stress behind you are also leaving your life behind.
While away at school you build friendships and relationships along with daily habits that seem like nothing but that, until you are forced to pack a bag, lock the door and say goodbye. Spring break is something we all look forward to in hopes of going on a nice vacation or even staying home to catch up with family and friends, but regardless of how your spring break is spent, there is always the feeling that something is missing.
We tend to stay in constant contact with our friends from school while away and the group chats and snapchats all seem to say the same thing- “I miss you!”. This isn’t simply because we can’t wait to get back to classes and the last four weeks of stress, but we miss the daily routines of dinner at 6:30pm or weekend breakfasts at 11am. We miss waking up and knowing exactly who is awake and who doesn’t have class for another two hours. We miss the idea of college being the biggest sleepover and the daily hangouts that lead to random knocks on the door to find more friends on the other side.
We crave the routines we have created and the people we created them with. Leaving those routines and people behind is heartbreaking and harder than leaving home at the end of the summer because while you may not realize it, school has become home. When you see the same people everyday, you create a bond and that uniting bond doesn’t make you friends, it creates a family.
This idea of family is what is most important in any college experience, of course behind your actual school work. While spring break is a week of hopeful relaxation, it truly puts into perspective who your true friends are. My friends are people I can’t go a day without talking to, and I know I can never take them for granted because the family we have created is unique to us and perfect in its own little way. It is important to cherish those who are want to be around you, not only when you are up but when you are down and everything in between; and that is exactly who my friends are.
