Spring break is only a few weeks away, and the students of FHC can’t wait to leave school for a week and a half to just relax. But will the students be doing more than just relaxing? 

Everyone’s plans for spring break are different. From flying multiple hours to Hawaii, to staying home and watching Netflix, there is something for everyone.

Freshman Serena Thiede’s plans start with visiting her best friend and uncle in Punta Gorda, Florida.

“We drive straight through and get [to Punta Gorda] really late,” Serena said. “We stop at our favorite restaurant and then go to our uncle’s at midnight to sleep. From there, we do anything from golf, to outdoor roller skating, to adventure parks, to amusement parks.”

Freshman Katya Berjawi is also going to Florida. A two and a half-hour car ride from Punta Gorda is Orlando, where Katya and her family are going to Walt Disney World.

While Serena goes back to Punta Gorda every year, but Katya likes to switch it up.

“We usually go somewhere [for spring break],” Katya said, “but it changes every year.”

Katya goes on vacation to see new places and do new things, but Serena goes to see her best friend every spring break. The one thing these two have in common is that spring break planning is somewhat in advance.

Contrastingly, freshman Val Garza doesn’t have set plans for spring break, but she knows she is going somewhere warm.

“My family and I haven’t really set plans yet,” Val said. “But if we do go somewhere, it would be somewhere in Florida. Either Tampa, Clearwater, or Orlando because my parents prefer going somewhere warm for the break.”

Unlike Val, sophomore Drew Dickinson plans his vacations well in advance.

“We start planning for vacations around the new year,” Drew said, “because the flights are way cheaper if you buy them then versus now.”

Most people have either planned on or are choosing between different places in the south, just like most people at FHC. But, Serena, Val, and Kayta go on vacation for the whole spring break period to soak up every second of the sun.

“My favorite part of spring break is not having to worry about school while we’re off and getting to relax away from home,” Val said.

While Val enjoys spending time off from school like most students, Drew enjoys seeing his aunt and uncle whom he only sees once a year. But arguably the best part of spring break is having no school work and not having to wake up early to attend school the next day. It begs the question, is there a difference in how students view winter break and spring break?

“Spring break is better,” Serena states. “It is more of a vacation time compared to winter break which is more holidays spent with family.”

While Serena views winter break as a stay at home break, Katya sees it more similar to spring break.

“We always try to go somewhere for winter break,” Katya says. “Usually either Lebanon or Utah.”

Spring break and winter break have very different weather conditions. Winter break is the couple of weeks where every day feels like a snow day. There is snow everywhere, and the sun’s rays hit the white surface and reflect back onto your eyes. Everything is lit up and cheerful, but night comes very quickly. 

During spring break, the winter has started to melt away, and the migrating animals start to make their way back home. Warmer temperatures prepare everyone for the blazing hot and humid climate in their more tropical destinations ahead. While both season’s breaks are very different, Val finds herself liking both breaks equally.

“I like both spring break and winter break equally,” Val said, “but they are very different for me. Usually, spring break is just between my family and me, which is four people in total. For winter break, my whole family comes up from Mexico, or sometimes I go visit them, and we spend that time together.”

The time span between winter and spring break feels like every day is dragging on forever, but what about Thanksgiving to winter break? 

Thanksgiving break was earlier in the school year, it was the first full break of school—those couple of days were amazing. But getting back into the groove of school can be really hard for some students. So once winter break came around the corner, did that time period feel longer than now to spring break?

“[The period from winter break to spring break feels longer,] especially with spring break coming up in the home stretch of the year,” Serena said.

Regardless of the time periods, both spring and winter break are greatly appreciated by all students. They are very different, but there are so many things to enjoy about both. 

“Winter break for me is super meaningful and is for quality family time since I never get to see them,” Val said. “It is always fun to either go down to Mexico to see them or having them come up to visit. Spring break is a fun time to relax and have fun with friends and family. When it is still a little cold in Michigan, it is nice to get out and go somewhere nice and warm before returning to the long haul before summer break.”