Spring Break: It’s Who You’re With Not Where You Are

It’s mid-March, que the sunscreen advertisements, the heckling airline discount emails, and the Facebook pictures of pretty much everyone you went to high school with in a tropical location, looking tan as hell and sipping a giant fishbowl drink with a mini pink umbrella. Cute.

Spring Break season: exciting or depressing, depending how you look at it.

As a collegiate softball player, I never really understood the hype of SB2KWhatever. My spring getaway has always consisted of a week-long tournament. AKA ugly tan lines, a burned face (inevitable, no matter how much SPF you try to lather on) and sore muscles. But hey, I’m not really complaining. I went to some amazing (and warm!) locations, bonded with my teammates, kicked some a$$, ate good food, and slept. A lot. (So who’s the real winner here?!)

But as I’ve finally entered the world of adulting, I’ve realized all the hype surrounding Spring Break. And I’ve also been thrown into the excitement with the sudden realization, Ohmygod I could finally have…like, an actual break. Booze, boys and beaches here I come! Just kidding, kind of.

This year I was lucky enough to have a mini-vacation. My first ever real break, as I’d like to call it. And yes, I did hashtag quite a few pics with #SB2K16. No shame.

But even with the amazing weather, good friends, and too much food and drinks, I’ve learned one important thing about this coveted week—it’s really about who you’re with, not where you are.

Sure, okay, I might be a little hypocritical this time around. But seriously. Before this year, I haven’t had a spring vacation since like, eighth grade. That would be nine freaking years, going on ten. Yeah, in those nine years you better believe I was jealous of the high school rich kids parading around Cabo and half of my college partying at Panama City Beach. But in all honesty, I’ve had a good Spring Break every single year. And that’s because it’s all about the company you keep.

I remember one year my best friend and I created our own tropical party. We wore our swimsuits inside, made fruity drinks, laid on towels in the middle of the living room, and played reggae music. (Maybe we looked like complete weirdos, but it was so much fun!)

Another year it rained throughout the entire softball trip to Myrtle Beach, but my parents, who were kind enough to come watch me play, took me shopping, to a movie, and to a diner with glass windows where we could overlook the storm and the ocean—your good time is what you make it.

If you’re lucky enough to have planned/be planning a trip this year, take a second to be thankful. Thankful for family, friends, sunshine, and shenanigans. But if you’re not going anywhere, or maybe not going to the ‘ideal’ place, be thankful anyways.

Your good time, your laughs, your memories stem from the people you surround yourself with and the attitude you have going in.

Sure, you could be somewhere on a beach in the Caribbean, but if you’re with b*tchy people who complain about everything or start drama because you looked at them wrong, it’ll suck. It’s about who you choose to spend your time with. Not where you are.

Stuck at home this year? Dragged somewhere less-than-cool and you’re just not feeling it? Choose to make the best of the situation. Appreciate the people around you. Love them. Enjoy your time with them. And if worst comes to worst, you can always rock your swimsuits inside. There’s nothing wrong kickin’ it on the couch in a bikini, homemade Piña colada in hand.