Spring break is the glorified week every college student yearns for. Students with a travel budget head to exotic places with white sandy beaches or jet off to some place that still has snow. Other students opt to stay home with family or friends.
For students who have already jumped the border and have a passport, the world is your oyster, as cliché as it sounds. Airfare has noticeably decreased for international travel, meaning it’s cheaper to fly round-trip to Paris than it is to fly one way to New York on United Airlines.
You can be stereotypical and run to the hustle and bustle of the streets in Miami for a hot $554, or you can save yourself $100 and experience the breathtaking culture of Spain for a week.
“I’m actually going to Ibiza with my best friend over break, so I had to rush to get my passport renewed,” said Tahala Reynolds, SRJC criminology student.
If you’re more into the cool weather and were planning to head to Vail, Co for the break, forget your skis and head to Oslo, Norway or Stockholm, Sweden for the same price.
Maybe you’re keen to exploring, but want to stay with other spring breakers, then Cancun is always a viable option. Just make sure you go with friends and always use the buddy system.
Passports are necessary to travel anywhere outside of the United States and obtaining one can be expensive on short notice, but it isn’t impossible. San Francisco houses one of the 22 regional passport agencies across the country and scheduling an appointment by phone is simple.
A quick trip to San Francisco and $198 can get you a passport within 24 hours, as long as you provide all required documentation. This means you should not, under any circumstances, forget your driver’s license in the backseat of your Honda Accord. You will regret it.
Staying within the border can also be a fun way to spend break. Road trips never disappoint and neither do National Parks or Disneyland.
Zion, UT is home to Zion National Park, where you can hike through red rock canyons and go stargazing at night. Zion is a 12 hour car trip passing through Las Vegas, in case you needed another incentive to go.
Sitting in the back of your best friend’s old Volvo for 13 hours can get you to the birthplace of Starbucks Coffee Company. Seattle is known for it’s drizzly weather and cities nestled into national forests. Pack your umbrella and explore this city like a local.
Outdoorsy folk can load up backpacking gear and drive four hours North to the Trinity National Forest where you can explore trails for free and snag a campsite for $4 a night.
Traveling isn’t for everyone and that’s just fine. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with continuing life as normal over the break or building a blanket fort in your living room and sleeping for a whole week.
“I usually go to Hawaii for spring break, but I can never remember what exactly happens. I blame the pina coladas,” said Casey Cook, former SRJC student.
International travel can bring newness into your life; new culture, new currency, new languages. But, hanging around in a place that will accept that crumpled up $10 bill that you found at the bottom of your dirty laundry bin, has its perks as well.
The Santa Rosa Junior College Spring break is Mar. 19- 26, so plan accordingly.