Ah spring break, sprawled underneath a palm tree on the golden sands of some beach far away as I’m bathed in the soft, pink sun beams of the horizon. My closed eyes are hidden by mirror-tinted shades that pair nicely with the Tommy Bahama shirt I bought earlier and I slowly drift off into sleep without a care in the world.

Although I enjoy this fantasy, it is not how I spent my spring break; in fact the opposite. Attempting to further distance myself from the bottom of my bank account and avoiding a grueling 8-hour car ride downstate, I canned the possibility of going anywhere interesting for SB-2017 and had a staycation in good old Marquette.

At first it was great, as any break from work is. I got to sleep in, goof around and get more acquainted with my living room.

I really didn’t mind chilling out with my roommates and running around Marquette. But unfortunately, as I got into the later half of the week and all my friends went off on their own trips and there was nothing to do, I came to wish I did something cooler with my time off.

I don’t mind hanging around my house for a few days, but when there is no one else there and the uninviting chill of the outside world traps me inside, I go nuts.

The last fleeting days of my break were spent in a state of comatose brought on by my own boredom. I played Skyrim a number of hours I’m embarrassed to admit and failed to complete the work I was naïve enough to task pre break-Trevor with.

As I scrolled through my Facebook feed I found it was saturated with pictures of peripheral friends and family in places like Florida, Hawaii and even Japan.

While I’m glad I saved money, I wish I would have at least driven somewhere cool for a day or two, even if it was just somewhere else in Michigan. My Tito Andy once told me that the best part of being on vacation is seeing yourself out of context and I agree.

As much as I love it in Marquette, It’s refreshing to get a glimpse of somewhere new for a while or even do something you wouldn’t normally do, like charitable work, for example.

I think many people are better than me but people who spend spring break traveling with groups and working on humanitarian projects are definitely better than me.

This year, NMU’s His House Christian Fellowship traveled down to Juarez, Mexico to build houses for poor families around the area. While kids my age are spending their time off helping those in need, building hospitals and parks and stuff, I’m trying to persuade myself to venture out into the cold for some food.

Someday I’d like to go and help someone somewhere in the world for vacation. Travel gives you insight to the world and what others have to deal with and providing relief for those who need it seems like a good way spend free time.

Trips are expensive so maybe extravagant adventures to faraway lands might be unrealistic for the typical poor college student but your time can be better spent compared to hanging on the couch. A small road trip to Minneapolis with friends could be a way to save money while still being adventurous. If you’re finding it hard to even budget, why not volunteer at local programs right here in Marquette? Above all, it may be enticing to just chill but that gets boring, painfully so.

So while you can, take yourself out of context and see what it’s like to be out of your element.