The hellish process of planning spring break, as told by an NC State student
It’s a rite of passage
Spring break for college students is a much needed reprieve from classes, studying and papers. As spring break approaches, students start daydreaming of white beaches, piña coladas and tans.
But before you get too excited for your destination vacation, there is a lot of planning to do.
4 months till spring break
You and your friends are huddled around a table in Talley, bundled up in winter coats and scarves discussing how you just can’t wait for spring break when a far too perky blonde bops her head up from her iPhone and shouts, “Let’s go to Florida!” Everyone claps their hands in agreement and before you know it, you and 12 other students have a group message named “Sprang Break” and you’re discussing hotel arrangements.
After much discussion, you decide on Key West but then you look up flights and automatically recoil at the prices. So, you go back to square one and decide to discuss it at a later date because we definitely have time, right?
3 months till spring break
After about two days of discussion in the group message, communication comes to a halt and spring break talks are replaced with conversations about tests and essays. One day, as you and your friends are studying in the library, you look up from your textbook just for a moment and croak, “Hey, what are y’all doing for spring break?”
Everyone immediately sits upright at the sound of the question and starts to go on about all their plans. You hesitantly ask if they want to do something together, and after a few questions you add them to the once dead group message. Then you type out a message to see if everyone still wants to go to Florida. With the thought of earth, sun and fun fresh on your mind, you start to believe your spring break dreams may come true.
2 months till spring break
It is officially two months until spring break and you have 10 different houses picked out for your Florida vacation. With 15 people deciding to come along for the adventure, you have decided on a place and a mode of transportation. You and your friends have completely given up on homework and have dedicated your time to finding the perfect house that doesn’t break the bank.
1 month till spring break
After four weeks of planning, you lie on your bed staring up at the ceiling, wondering what exactly went wrong. The “Sprang Break” group message now consists of just you and two other people. All the houses you had saved on your computer have been rented and the person with the car decided they didn’t want to go. You look out the window at the gray clouds and shudder with fear thinking about having to stay here while your peers live it up on beaches and boats. After a few moments of self pity you get up, brush yourself off and flip open your computer. You will go to Florida, even if you’re alone.
1 week till spring break
You’re tired, sick and can feel the bags under your eyes, but you push on. You practically force the two girls left in the group message to commit and then spend hours researching hotels. After weeks of no sleep, intense research and borderline self destruction, you have a hotel in Florida. It has half a star rating and looks like it could crumble to the ground at any moment, but it is a place to sleep. You show your friends and they laugh in your face but you stay strong. It will be worth it, it just has to be.
Spring Break
You finally did it. You make it to Florida, pull up to your rundown hotel and immediately hit the beach. After the hours of research, months of planning and the sleepless nights, you sit on the beach and feel like it was all worth it.