By Sam Graudins, student contributing writer
Ah, summer break! It’s a great opportunity to spend some quality time with your college pals and visiting college friends, away from all the stress and business of school. But being away at college, it isn’t as easy as going down the street to your best friend’s house. Many of your college friends’ hometowns will be far away. That, however, doesn’t mean you can’t visit them. Having faraway friends is a great chance to explore new places that you’d never find in a travel brochure! Here are some things that have helped me about visiting college friends over break and will help you travel to yours!
1. Plan ahead
First tip on visiting college friends over break is plan ahead. If your friend is on another coast, ticket prices can get very high very fast. A last-minute ticket can cost hundred of dollars more than buying it one or two months in advance. Plus, if you organize travel plans early, you’ll know how much money you have to save throughout the semester for optimum fun times during break! And, brief note: ask both families’ parents’ permission as soon as possible. Whether or not you feel you need it, informing your guardians where you’ll be for break is important for safety and comfort. They could be your ride to and from the bus/airport/boat/what-have-you, or your host, and as such, you owe it to them to make sure they’re informed and prepared!
2. Plan local
Second tip on visiting college friends over break is plan locally. Visiting college friends over break is a special opportunity — not only to goof off with them without assignments on your mind, but also to get a deeper understanding of who they are as a person. During your time together, try to get a feel for their neighborhood! Get a little tour, meet the local homies, learn where they became the person they are today! And, if you’re hosting, don’t ever worry your local spots are too dull for your visiting bud. Remember, everything you’re familiar with is wildly new and interesting to visitors, and you don’t need to throw money at a lot of activities to keep ‘em interested. That being said, have some activities in mind! Are you warm and coastal? Try the beach! Urban and artsy? Try some museums, or your favorite food spots! Everyplace is unique, and you’ve probably told your friends stories about things that make it special. Visiting your college friends is your opportunity to bring those stories to life.
3. Have fun!
Third tip on visiting college friends over break is have fun! I know, this is the obvious one, but sometimes in the whirlwind of planning, you forget the reason you’re visiting each other in the first place … because you have fun together! If you feel yourself getting stressed, just take a breath and remember how cool it is you’re getting to hang out. Did you ever imagine yourself meeting X in college and traveling to Y? Or having X in your home town??? These are memories being made! Those are some of my tips on visiting college friends and having a blast with your homies!! Writing to you from my friend Lucky’s Florida home, after a long flight from Massachusetts, I can confidently say they’ve worked for me thus far. Now we’re off to play the Sims 4 in his childhood bedroom, because, hey! some adventures can be had no matter where you are or where you go. (And one more personal note: ice cream. Ice cream is different everywhere, you gotta try all the flavors. Incredible.)
About the author
Sam is a life blogger from Franklin, Massachusetts with a big heart and a bigger appetite for sweets. She loves Korean bakeries, Japanese animation, and providing you insight into her college experience. Sam is a second-year communication studies major at Emerson College with a minor in gender studies, and she’s over the moon about sharing tips on how to have a fully-custom college experience. “Standardization is a rejection of creativity. Do you and do it big!”