Spring break in college is alien territory. No, you are not required to break bread with your third cousins in a state you would never otherwise visit. No, touring potential colleges does not constitute an appropriate holiday anymore. And no, you are unfortunately no longer on your parents’ plumper budget. But each college spring break is more than a mere 10 days off from academic activities: There exists a whole culture and process inherent to planning a spring break that reveals deep, meaningful qualities of a person. We at the Clog have compiled the shades of characters that accompany the spring break planning fiesta.
Go Cancun or go home
What happens in Cancun usually doesn’t stay in Cancun, which is why it’s renowned as a “paradise site gone party strip gone absolute playground of indulgence.” Regardless of whether they can point out Cancun on a map, these individuals have their heart (and bank account) pinned on having one hand wrapped around a cucumber-jalapeno margarita and the other pumping into the salty air. This isn’t about fulfilling a rite of passage to party it up in Mexico as a college student. This isn’t about miles of blue beaches, or even that (marginally) convenient age-18 drinking age. To this planner, Cancun is the irrevocable definition of spring break, and nothing can beat that sincere meaning of the American dream.
The Jack Kerouac hopeful
For this guy, happiness is on the open road ahead, and vacation luggage should comprise nothing more than a Patagonia backpack. A strict adherent to the philosophy of “never stop exploring,” his ideal spring break involves finding a prominent mountain — or five — to trek through on foot. It’s all about sleeping under the stars (potentially also under a car hood) and trading stories around a campfire with your best buds. As Jack Kerouac succinctly put it, “No matter, the road is life.”
The one whose biggest struggle is choosing a friend group
This traitorous vixen is renowned for promising six different friend groups that he or she will take on Tahoe, Hawaii and the Midwest for spring break. This person swears he’ll have the undisputedly most adventurous vacation ever, without knowing what exactly he’s doing to begin with. Typically, this one starts the planning process not by reviewing potential locations but by weighing which friend group would be the least pissed off by his absence … unless he can book a charter flight that can fit 45 people.
The night-before-break planner
Procrastinators unite — tomorrow — because arranging anything in advance is profoundly overrated. One month left before break? This person could take three separate vacations in that time period and still pass all of her pass/no pass classes. One week left? Forget it — Tumblr told her that today’s a gift. The weekend before? Well, she saw this online article about spring break that she had to read before doing anything else. Basically, she has no idea what’s going on but will probably pull together something spontaneous at the last minute. Whether it’s cost efficient is a whole other question.
Image Source: Daniel D’Auria
