I went south for spring break—all the way down to Miami.

With my parents and sister, I ventured down with the goal of swimming in the saltwater with some mermaids, reading as much as possible, and relishing the fact that I was no longer in Michigan or at school. 

While I was down there, I triumphantly succeeded in all of these goals, despite the fact that I was only there for one night. Determined to take advantage of my time away from school, I focused only on the positive aspects and therefore had the best time.

Perhaps I should clarify: I did go to Miami, but it was Miami of Ohio, where I was touring their college and then spending the night at a hotel. And—you guessed it—there was an indoor saltwater pool which my sister and I took full advantage of. In that moment, we were the mermaids.

Other than our adventurous trip to Miami, I stayed in Michigan during spring break. This isn’t exactly rare for my family; I’d say about half the time, we stay put, and the other half, we travel. Regardless, it has always been slightly disappointing for me when I learn about my friend’s trips to Florida or Hawaii. I’m happy for them—but, I may be a tad jealous…or perhaps a bit more than a tad. 

When I come across their posts on Instagram, I get envious. Suddenly, I don’t want to do anything besides sulk in my sadness because nothing that I do in Michigan could possibly be as riveting as what they are doing, surrounded by the mermaids in the ocean and the palm trees on land. 

A few days before leaving for Miami, my sister, a friend who also was going nowhere for spring break, and I went to the Mud Room to paint pottery. I was stubbornly caught up in the gloom that was involved in staying home for spring break. While searching for which piece we were going to decorate and make our own, I came across a mermaid. Her hair was flowing in her imaginary ocean while swimming and smiling. For a moment, I was taken aback. Wasn’t I just complaining about not being around the mermaids? 

The realization that mermaids were all around me regardless of my situation made me lift out of my shell of melancholy. 

For the rest of the break, I saw the mermaids everywhere: while sitting at home, playing with my dog, on the road down to Miami, and, of course, while swimming in the saltwater. They appeared to me in the activities I was doing, but more importantly, the people I was doing them with. The mysterious creatures made me realize that it doesn’t matter where you are; what matters is what you make out of it. If you’re able to find the mermaids, then you’re able to make anything exciting.