During the dreary and wet months of February, March, and April, the anticipation and longing for spring break is fixated in almost everyone’s mind. The feeling of desperation for intense sunlight and the need for warm weather seems to be a topic of conversation for weeks on end. And to be perfectly honest, I think I can speak for not only myself when I say that I needed a break from school and all academic activities. Once that bell rang, signaling the spring break departure, the halls were filled with students ready to escape the cold Michigan weather and excited to travel to a tropical destination.

Over the past 12 days, my spring break was spent perfectly: 80-degree weather with no school distractions, full of tanning, swimming, and fun adventures. And although all of my days in the sun were picturesque and calming, there was one extraordinary and exceptional day.

The morning was early and dark. The air was cool, wrapped around my skin and sending chills of goosebumps up and down my arms. The sun hid behind a large mass of clouds and the ocean was rolled up along the shore, like paint being smeared on a canvas. My family and our friends drove to a site, where there was a sign reading, “Jet Ski Dolphin Tours.” With not an ounce of thought about academic or educational activities, we boarded the jet skis in pairs and began our adventure through the waves.

To begin with, I was a bit nervous. I had never driven a jet ski before, and because I was one of the few licensed drivers on the trip, I had to control the unknown ski. The first few minutes were definitely not my best moments. You would think I would be full of fluidity and gracefulness, because of my dancing experience; but no, that was not the case. Almost instantly after entering the water, myself and the jet ski were flailing around the waves, struggling to gain control. After a few almost embarrassing wipeouts, our group made it to the known “dolphin cove.”

The cove was beautiful. The dolphins were playful and seemed to be showing us a special performance routine. While the dolphins were splashing around, the leader of our group gave us a speech about an important life lesson that I took very much to heart. He said that often times we get too wrapped up with stressful school activities. He suggested that we take time to enjoy nature because as this trip to the dolphin cove showed, our natural surroundings can help us forget the weight of our academic complications.

Personally, I know that most of my weeks are spent worrying about my grades, dance, or how I can do better in school. This trip and lesson really reminded me of what the important parts of life are. How often do we take a break from our everyday lives to focus on nature and our natural surroundings? I know I don’t. After this trip to the dolphin cove, I came to the conclusion that if I’m feeling abnormally stressed, I will take a break and think back to this moment in time– think back to where everything was serene and non-demanding. As I learned from the Jet Ski Dolphin Tour Guide, life should be as simple as dolphins playing in the water. Don’t overstress about meaningless things in life and remember this moment whenever you need a boost.