Everything I wish I knew before going on spring break
Henna tattoos are never as cool of an idea as they seem
Spring break is a highly anticipated trip for students all over. After two months from returning back from a month long winter recess we are given the opportunity to take a pause from our work and relax on yet another break. This year I took my first big spring break trip to Mexico with my friends.
While my experience was nearly perfect there were still a few things that I wish I knew before I departed.
Use sunscreen.
Use sunscreen. SPF 50 at least, it is difficult to remember to reapply when you are down by the beach or pool so the stronger SPF you start with the better! Yes, sunburn turns into tan but sun poisoning does not. However, if you do get sun burnt make sure you have aloe.
Exchange your money.
Make sure to transfer your American money into pesos or the native currency of the country that you are visiting. Preferably small bills so that it is easy to split meals with your friends. The workers and cab drivers know that you do not know the proper conversions and will try to take advantage of you. If you don’t have time to convert your money there are a number of helpful apps to assist you in figuring out the conversions.
Henna tattoos are never as cool as they seem.
Henna tattoos always seem like a good idea in the moment. Just remember whatever you get on your body will stay there for 7-21 days!
The club floors are nasty.
The clubs mop the floor ALL night long, they will move you out of the way in order to mop under your feet. Most of the time they just mop your actual feet, with this in mind close-toed shoes are a good idea if you want to avoid whatever liquids are on the club floor being washed onto your feet.
They weren’t kidding when they said don’t drink the water.
Make sure to take care of your body, the easiest way to ruin your trip is to get sick and getting sick is not hard. Don’t stay in the heat for too long, get enough sleep, and DON’T DRINK THE WATER! Even the most careful of people on the trip can slip up and end in the hospital or doctors office after the trip.
There are actually leisure activities other than drinking.
Take every opportunity you have to do something that you normally would not do. For example, bungee jump off a bridge or swim with sharks if you can. You can only do this trip once so dance with your friends, meet new people, and make the most of it as you can. Take it all in and enjoy!