It's Coming....

By Emma Pampanin on November 28, 2012

It’s getting to be that time of year when we determine how we are going to spend those glorious four weeks in between semesters.  While looking forward to it like you look forward to a reunion with Christmas lights and hard hot chocolate, meditating on the possibilities available to you in that span of time can be so overwhelming that you get stressed out and then inevitably don’t do much of anything at all.

To ease the anxiety that hours of free time and days off can create for students, I have taken it upon myself to offer some words of advice to maximize the potential for fun over the winter break, especially if you are on a budget (if you’re not, then pay someone to figure out your vacation for you).

We all say we can do it because we can, but rarely does it happen. I’m talking about planning. And really planning, not just thinking of a potential idea. It’s easy to make a list of things that you are interested in doing, so do that, and then take the next step towards making them happen. That inclues picking a day, nailing down comrades if you so wish, and figuring out the necessary transportation. Just get it all sorted out before hand and then enjoy yourself. Some of these plan reliant trips can even be day trips. I’m from Boston, Massachusetts, and in a day I could be in New York City, NY, Providence, RI, Portland, ME, or Burlington, VT. All of these are really cool places to visit and within a days drive. Plus, as with any car ride trip, half the adventure is getting there.

If you don’t want to go far, there are certainly day acitivies you can plan for your area. Try to go to every museum in a certain radius, find a hike you have never done before, play pool at every dive bar in one day. Make it a tour of something and you can certainly keep things interesting.

Of course, these are high energy activities, more so if you count the effort that goes into planning (and I definitely do). Relaxing over break is just as fun, and probably even more necessary. You can make the most out of lazy time, too. Watch a season of a TV show you’ve wanted to see (sidenote: I just burned through season 1 of Homeland in one day, if you haven’t watched it I highly recommend, but be forewarned, its nearly impossible to walk away from) or make a list of movies you’ve never gotten around to seeing. Once you have those, buy some OJ and make some grilled cheeses and you’ve got an awesome day ahead of you.

Another way to make stuff interesting over break is to set goals; reading an entire book or running everyday are examples. Reasonable goals, because you are trying to relax, but if you achieve something that you have wanted to for some time that always gets pushed aside when you are too busy with school or work, you will ensure that your vacation is not only fun and relaxing, but productive as well.

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