It may still be 30 degrees outside and smack dab in the middle of winter, but before you know it, it’s going to be be warm and sunny skies (I promise!) And you know what all that spring weather brings…that’s right, spring break! While it might feel like spring break is far, far away, there are some things you should be doing now in order to prepare for the highly anticipated week. Here’s how to prepare for Spring Break which will hopefully make the preparation process easier…and make that week come that much quicker (fingers crossed)!
If you’re anything like me, you’ve tried to go on grand spring break adventures for years, but insufficient planning has stopped you. However, if you start seriously planning now, you will have time to sort out the pros and cons of each idea and realistically figure out where you can go.
Make a list of any and every place you’ve ever wanted to go. It doesn’t matter how long the list gets, just write all of your dream destinations down. Now take that list and cross off the destinations that you know you can’t go to. Like for me, I’ve always wanted to go to South Korea, but I know that’s not happening on a spring break trip. Once you’ve crossed off the places that you can’t go to…..
When you have your final list of realistic destinations you could go for spring break, it is then best to focus on the activities you could be doing at each. Basically what I’m saying is that you don’t want to end up in some picture-perfect place with great weather for a week with absolutely nothing to do. Find a Spring Break destination that offers the best of both worlds – sunny skies AND lots of options for activities and events.
Start planning now also means start saving now. The truth of the matter is that you can’t go many places without at least a little bit of money…AKA start stashing away the cash. Save a couple dollars (actually probably a lot more than a couple) from each paycheck and by the time spring break comes around you’ll have a decent amount of money saved up.
You don’t want to save all this money and then spend it the first day of spring break. Make a daily budget including everything you know you will be spending money on – transportation, hotels, food, booze, etc. While things will definitely come up in the moment and you can’t plan ahead to a T, it’ll be good to have a rough estimate of your daily expenditure. Coming up with an idea of how much you will spend will also help you know how much you should be saving!
If you’re spending spring break with friends then it’s probably best to figure out how you all will be paying for things that will be split between the group. For example, if you stay in a hotel, is one person paying for that and another paying for rental car expenses? It’s better to figure these things out before departing so that nobody’s confused (and avoid any arguments during the trip).
If you’re driving to your spring break destination then you should get your car looked at by a professional. It’d be terrible if the day before you’re supposed to leave your car decides it wants to die (knock on wood). By giving yourself ample amount of time to fix any problems that might be lurking in the corner, you can guarantee no surprises when spring break finally arrives. This goes for flights, bus tickets, or train reservations – make sure all the details are sorted and you definitely have a seat. What could be worse than getting to the airport to find that you actually booked a ticket for wrong week!
Spring break body anyone? If you’re an avid workout-aholic, then you keep doing you! You go Glenn Coco! But if you’re not, now is the time you should start kicking it into gear. Try to hit the gym at least 3 times a week and eat healthy – remember, abs are made in the kitchen! Drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated and clear; by the time spring break rolls around, you’ll be proud to show off the new body you’ve earned!
Sometimes things go wrong and problems are inevitable, so it’s always good to have a plan B, C and D…just in case. Store some extra money on the side for emergency moments. Have a backup activity just in case the first one doesn’t work out. Just make sure that you know what to do in case things don’t happen the way they’re supposed to.
Remember that spring break is a time to take a much needed break from school, so don’t forget to relax and breathe. Sure, planning can be stressful, but don’t let it get the best of you – if you’re listening to my advice and planning now- you’re already one step ahead of the rest!
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