It’s officially the best Friday of the year: the Friday commencing spring break. No matter what your plans are, the most important part of spring break is ensuring that you have a week to rest and relax before ending the semester on a strong note. Here are a few things to do around the area:
Winery
If you’re 21+ a fun place to go with friends is a local winery. Not only are you spending time in nature, but in a beautiful setting surrounded by people you love. If you’re someone who enjoys wine, engaging in a wine-tasting activity or grabbing some food is the perfect way to spend a day, whether that be with friends or a date. Some wineries around Storrs are Rabbit’s Run Vineyard and Cassidy Hill Vineyard. If you live in Southern Connecticut, Crystal Ridge Winery and Arrigoni Winery are amazing options.
Hobbies
The most amazing aspect of spring break is the plethora of time off. I suggest getting all your emails and work done ahead of time and then truly signing off for the week. If you are able to do this, taking time throughout the week to learn a new hobby or engage in an old one is one way you can spend spring break. Personally I love to read, so I’m planning on bringing a few books with me to my spring break destination. I think it’s important to state that these hobbies don’t have to be productive either. If you want to sit on the couch for days and binge “Below Deck,” then by all means, do so! Break is about regrouping however you choose to, not how society tells you to.
Reconnect
With school, work, maintaining mental health and engaging in extracurriculars, staying in touch with friends not close by can be difficult. I know I definitely struggle with this. Break is the perfect time to send over a “Thinking of you” text or even finding the time to call someone that is important to you. If your loved one is geographically close, it can be beneficial to set up a time to meet up for coffee or grab lunch. It’s always a warm, fuzzy feeling when you reconnect with someone you love, and why not now?
NYC Food Tour
Who doesn’t love food? And what city in America has a more delicious, wide range of food than NYC? Choose one day during break to take the train into NYC and go on a food tour! This doesn’t have to be an already curated food experience either. You can create your own personalized food tour by looking at Yelp reviews for specific neighborhoods and cuisines. If you don’t want to use Yelp, I suggest checking out the app Beli. A lot of my foodie inspiration comes from Instagram, with numerous accounts devoting their photos to the best eats in NYC. Some to check out are: @nyc.food , @nyc_food , @nycfoodinsta and @nycfoodgals.
Watch Hill, R.I.
Despite it snowing yesterday, I still tell myself that spring has sprung. To get in the mood, take a day trip to a wonderful, small beach town called Watch Hill in Rhode Island. Located in the most adorable area, Watch Hill has a wonderful ocean with plenty of shops downtown. What’s even better? You can truly embody your Swiftie persona right next to Taylor’s mansion, located on the beach. If Taylor Swift loves this place enough to buy an estate we know it’s legit. Parking can get a bit pricey in the summer, so it’s definitely much more affordable to go during this time of year. Bundle up, grab a blanket and enjoy a day on the beach!
These are only five out of hundreds of ways you could spend your spring break. There’s no need to go anywhere fancy to have a wonderful, relaxing time. Kick up your feet and let’s get this thing going!
