The first half of the spring semester seems to be a whirlwind of assignments, things to do, places to be and a whole lot of cold weather. Oftentimes, the weather can bring students to the point of exhaustion. Thankfully, spring break is right around the corner.
When tacking on travel days and recovery from jet lag, only ten days of spring break may be a challenging time to attempt an out-of-country adventure unless you are flying to Mexico to lay on the beach all day every day. Thankfully, from tropical beaches to desert lands to mountains and sunshine, the United States really has it all if you are looking for a fun spring break vacation destination.
When asking around campus where various students are planning to travel, mountainous hiking trips are a popular choice. Grab six to eight of your closest friends, hop in a car, drive to Wyoming or Colorado, camp in the mountains and you have got yourself a college student-priced vacation.
Grant Funston, a junior studying political science, has a hiking trip planned to the “Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee with eight friends [and] a backpack” and only a handful of crew materials.
His group plans to trek through the Smoky Mountains, making three stops along the way and enjoying the views and brisk weather. Funston says the weather will be approximately 65 degrees during the day and 45 degrees at night, which is the ideal temperature for outdoor recreation in the spring.
Spring break is crucial to powering students through the end of the year, and many use this time to recharge.
”I think I will feel very refreshed after spending a week in the mountains,” Funston said.
A hiking trip can seem like an easy route financially, but don’t underestimate the amount of planning it takes prior to departure. It can, and most likely will, be a large undertaking to plan a trip of this format, but in Funston’s words, “it’s all worth it in the end.”
If you don’t have the time or ability to travel somewhere new, take a moment over spring break to reflect on how far you’ve come this semester and find some rest. Whether that be through spending time with loved ones, indulging in hobbies that bring joy or simply sleeping.
After you get back from break, feel free to contact the Iowa State Daily about your spring break experiences. Tell stories of what you experienced over spring break and ask yourself, what is your favorite way to refresh?
