As the first quarter of the second semester at Maclay School has come to a close, students around campus have started to gear up for their much anticipated week-long spring break. Whether it be spending time at home or traveling elsewhere, everyone gets to take time away from schoolwork and the stress that comes with it. Even though staying at home and relaxing is appealing to many, this time away from school is best spent away from the house. Traveling allows us to indulge in new cultures and areas, meet different people and spend time creating memories with family or friends in a different environment.
Any time you are able to go off and venture out to different countries, states, or cities, the people and cultures that come with these new environments will likely be much different from the environment from home. Although it is always fun to be around friends or others with similar interests as you, being able to expand into creating new and diverse relationships not only allows you to indulge in new environments, but also helps you find further ways to interact with unfamiliar faces, which is a necessity throughout all aspects of life. These new interactions come with brand new perspectives that collectively mold us into who we are and how we act, even applicable from a short time period like spring break.
While meeting new people and seeing different environments is an important stepping stone in the game of life, the most important aspect are the family and friends who care about you. During the school year, students often have busy schedules that make it hard to spend quality time with their loved ones and going away from home provides an opportunity to become even closer to these people than before. The various activities that come with vacation (even the stressful trials of transport) help provide bonding situations that are extremely beneficial for improving one’s well-being. Bonding with loved ones ultimately helps increase your sense of belonging and purpose, as well as releasing the built up stress that comes from school.
As the meaningful interactions with those who both love you and have never met you that are created from traveling make spring break special, new activities that push your boundaries as an adventurer is always a plus. From going surfing for the first time to mountain climbing or skydiving, traveling lets everyone push themselves to try unique and exciting things that just cannot be replicated at home. Not only will these new adventures and experiences provide a fun time, but they will also help with one’s overall mental health for the present and future. Trying new things helps overcome long term fears, increases the agility to learn new skills and improves your mood and motivation.
Although traveling may seem like the best option for everyone’s annual spring break, those who enjoy spending time at home instead have valid reasons to stay. When traveling, constantly going out to eat and touring various different sites or museums can get pretty expensive. However, even with this in mind, traveling does not always have to be extremely extravagant or over the top. With a small amount of money, families can travel to cities close by or go camping, which gives the same type of exhilaration and excitement that many other long distance travelers endure.
Overall, staying in bed and scrolling through TikTok or watching Netflix is appealing to many, but being able to travel and explore during the designated week off of school is a must for all students. Traveling can take minds away from work, allowing everyone to reach new levels of joy that aren’t always easy to find.
