Gettin’ Carried Away

Tired of studying? When Spring Break comes around, a lot of kids want to get out of the dorm and head off to the quintessential sandy beach where the three B’s reign supreme: beers, beach balls and bikinis. However, if you are like me, you might not even like hot weather or swimming. And if your meager student budget can’t send you on a luxurious cruise or on an island vacation, you might want to check out the following alternatives. After all, Spring Break is about the memories you make with your friends, right?

~* A photo from Carrie’s scrapbook of her Spring Break road trip to Minnesota in 2002 *~

Take a road trip
I’m aware that the price of gas is constantly fluctuating. However, you can save money buy piling a few of your friends into the car and having everyone chip in to fill the tank. The best plan might be to cover the area of your neighboring states. And you may find that driving to these nearby destinations is actually cheaper than flying to all of them. Do some research and look for cheap hostels for your overnight stays. After all, you’re going on an adventure. You only need a place to sleep and take a quick shower. You don’t need room service and a concierge!

Volunteer
Ditch the vacation all together and spend Spring Break helping those in need. Put all that restlessness into action! Build a brand-new home anywhere in the world. Be a part of the relief efforts in the Midwest and the South to bring families back to their homes that were destroyed from hard rain and hurricanes.

Visit other friends
If you’re lucky enough to have friends who decided to travel across the country for college, try to plan a trip to see them! You might get a free place to stay, so all you will have to do is search for cheap airfare. If you must find lodging, take a few friends and split the cost of a hotel room or search online for a youth hostel.

Go camping
There’s no better way to travel on the cheap! If you like the outdoors, camping in the woods saves you money on a hotel. If you’re a little less rustic, split the cost of renting a cabin with big group of friends. Sure, you still might be catching some zzz’s on the ground in a sleeping bag, but you’ll have running water. You might even be able to find some deals, as the demand for cabins and cottages is higher in the summer rather than the spring.

This year, do something different. Take an alternative Spring Break trip! You won’t be disappointed.