As a study abroad student, traveling is as vital to my schedule as my accounting class is. Weekend trips are what my friends and I live for. When our minds wander during our three-hour long classes, things such as flight reservations, travel itineraries, and Google maps plague our computer screens in anticipation for the next adventure outside the confinement of the classroom.

So far, many of my weekends have been spent in incredible locations such as Italy, Wales, Denmark, and Sweden. While weekend trips have been a great source of excitement for our first months in Europe, we’ve been holding our breath for spring break all along. Even though I’ve had mini-weekend vacations over the course of the semester, I think I stand for everyone when I say that spring break was a very much-needed getaway. I’m a firm believer in the philosophy of “work hard, play hard.” The best stress reliever is that temporary escape from your hectic routine in order to be carefree, while appreciating the things that you normally wouldn’t have time to notice.

Last semester, I endured an extremely taxing schedule. I had more classes than ever as a sophomore in Fordham’s business program, including the semester-long integrated team project. In addition, I started my first internship, and to round it all out, I had to keep up with my busy dance schedule as a member of the Expressions Dance Alliance, all the while finding time to be social. I found myself resenting the fact that my schedule was robbing me of spare time. When you’re constantly running around without a break, life passes you by. I was always eating on the go, missing time with friends, and even the luxury of taking a nap every once in a while. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t regret putting my all into my classes, or taking on my first internship in the city. However, when the semester was over, I was beyond relieved that I would finally have some time to relax, see my family, snuggle with my dog, and start packing for London at my leisure. Throughout the semester, I made sure to push myself, sometimes beyond my limits, and work hard, knowing that I would eventually be in London and have time to play hard.

Fast-forward to London, and fortunately my schedule is less hectic. My classes are three hours long, but we have three-day weekends, so I can’t complain. It’s nice not being tied down to so many obligations for a change. Instead of prioritizing my life around homework and working, I have the ability to balance out my work equally with my travels. It’s wonderful that I have that spare time I was missing last semester at Fordham. With more freedom, I can choose to take a run, take ballet classes, and explore London whenever I want. Since I’ve had more autonomy over my schedule, I’ve been able to put into perspective how I would like to spend my time. I’ve learned that work isn’t everything.

This lifestyle change has been lovely, but I’m not saying it’s a vacation. It’s stressful being around new people in a new country, while adjusting to new surroundings. This brings me back to the highly anticipated spring break. I have learned that the “work hard, play hard” mentality is essential to happiness. On a small scale, this is just balancing work and weekend travels. On a large scale, it is the rare luxury of having ten days off with no obligations, and not a single care in the world; only endless exploring and fun.

I was lucky enough to travel to Spain over spring break. I visited Madrid, Ibiza, and Barcelona, with an amazing group of people. Even though Madrid was chilly, we enjoyed museums, the architecture, and the scenery. We had the most delicious chocolate churros, and a little too much of the best sangria. Our next stop was Ibiza. We ironically visited this infamous party destination during its off-season, but I would not have had it any other way. The bliss of spending days on the warm beach, soaking up the sun, enjoying the crystal clear water, the palm trees, and the unique culture was better than any club in my book. Our last destination was Barcelona: a city on the water full of bright colors, Antoni Gaudi’s art, history, and good food. The feeling of the sun shining through the stained glass windows on my face in the Sagrada Familia basilica was indescribable. I came home on Saturday, and as I scroll through the photos, nostalgia kicks in. I treasure everything I saw and experienced, as well as the feeling of being free of obligations. I did not think of school once on the trip, which was liberating.

The façade ended as soon as I got home, when I had a lot of studying to do for my theatre and finance exams. Even though I would much rather travel through Spain than be stuck in a café with a heap of schoolwork in front of me, I powered through and finished my work. I did it with a smile on my face, remembering the aforementioned philosophy.

My advice is don’t schedule every second of your life around work and obligations. Remember how essential it is to balance work with play. I justify my hard work with the reward of traveling and allowing myself a break. What you learn in school is important, but what you learn in Spain may be more valuable in the long run. At the end of your life, are you going to be glad that you spent that weekend locked up in a café studying, or are you going to reminisce on that weekend you spent in Barcelona? If you balance work with play, you will be much happier—I promise you.