An Ode to Spring Break at Home

Spring at Harvard comes with many joys – Housing Day, afternoons above 30 degrees, and a much-needed Spring Break.

Spring Break is supposed to promote rest and relaxation from the college grind, a time to pretend you don’t have three midterms and two papers coming up in March. However, all too often, Spring Break brings additional stress. How should I spend my week off? Where, with whom, and with what money? For college freshmen like myself, Spring Break is often the first break we have complete control over, so we’re determined to make the most of it. After all, what’s a better way to show your high school classmates that you’re thriving in college than going on a tropical vacation with all your new besties?

At the beginning of my second semester, pondering Spring Break options left me uninspired. When I thought of my perfect week off, all that came to mind was going home, sleeping in my own bed, and eating my parents’ home cooking. So, that’s exactly what I will be doing.

One of my 2024 New Year’s resolutions was to reject FOMO and instead embrace JOMO – the joy of missing out. This semester, I have developed a more balanced and fulfilling life by being intentional with how I spend my time, attending events because I want to, rather than because I think I should. The JOMO mindset is highly applicable to my Spring Break dilemma.

In my eyes, Spring Break at home is the ultimate college getaway. For one – not to be understated – the home-cooked meals. I know I don’t just speak for myself when I say that one of the things I look forward to most over break is the break from HUDS (and my coding p-sets, of course). Second, there’s nothing quite like sleeping in your bed at home. The twin XL in my cramped double will never measure up.

But, you may say, spending break at home is just so boring. To this, I offer a solution: the complete and utter romanticization of your life. Wake up well-rested in the morning, blast “Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall, and be a tourist in your own hometown. Go to your local farmers market. Check out all the books on your TBR (to be read) list from the library and actually read them. Watch your not-so-little brother’s baseball game. Catch up with your hometown friends. Do all the things you said you would do if you had the time – now you do. I can almost guarantee that you won’t regret the extra time you spend with your loved ones, fully removing yourself from the college atmosphere.

If you’re like me and you’re spending your first college Spring Break at home, I encourage you to make the most of it and appreciate where you are, even though it may not be Punta Cana. Take Spring Break at home to reconnect with yourself and find new hobbies. Slow down and enjoy it, while welcoming the joy of missing out. Are you even really missing out?