Spring break is upon us, and whether you’re going to the beach, the mountains or staying home, I have 11 dos and don’ts to make the most of your time off. 

Picture this: after a long beach day, you return to your rented seaside home with warm skin and messy hair. You quickly shower and get ready to go out, and your cheeks are perfectly blushed from the sun, with new freckles popping and old ones rejuvenated. You are happy as a clam.   

Do get sun kissed. When outside, you should use appropriate amounts of sunscreen to stay safe, but remember the sun is good for you.  

“The best feeling is when you get back to your house after tanning, and you don’t have to wear any makeup because you’re all tan and your cheeks look like they have blush on them already,” said senior Callie Caron. 

The post-sun feeling is one of the best things about a beach vacation, so don’t skip it this spring break. 

However, being sun-kissed and sunburned are two different outcomes. 

After getting out of the sun, you should feel refreshed and warm, not burnt to a crisp. Don’t get sunburned. 

Most have experienced the peeling and the blistering from second degree sunburn, and the pain is not worth the gain when vacationing. 

To keep you comfortable and safe over the break, wear appropriate amounts of sunscreen. 

Another exciting aspect of spring break is planning outfits. This is a favorite activity for some, and making a top tier vacation wardrobe can be time-consuming and thought-provoking. 

Do dress up for going out; from five-star dinners to a coffee grab, it’s more fun to dress up. 

Wearing cute, confidence-boosting clothes will lift your mood and make for great pictures, so treat spring break like your fashion week. 

Ever felt like your vacation has just been too overbooked to fully relax? I have. 

I recommend you do make time for down time. 

A break is called a break for a reason, so while away from school make sure you kick back for a while. 

When having down time – assuming you won’t want to wear going out clothes – you will want something to lounge in. 

Do bring clothes to relax in, so you are perfectly comfortable when you have your down time. Pack a hoodie and oversized shirts for maximum comfort.  

Whenever I go on vacation, I like to wear a sort of cover-up over my swimsuit – something like a dress, oversized t-shirt or loose shorts. 

Upon arriving at my destination, I usually find I haven’t packed enough cover-ups because once they get wet, I’ll probably want a fresh one later. 

From my own mistakes, I am advising that you don’t forget to pack swimsuit cover-ups so you will not have to go out and buy a new one every vacation because of poor planning. 

When packing for a weeklong trip you are going to need stay organized, but the biggest thing is don’t overpack. 

When I mentioned bringing comfy clothes, I didn’t mean four hoodies and three pairs of sweatpants, which is unnecessary and takes up a lot of room. 

“I’m packing 24 bikini tops and 22 bikini bottoms for my beach trip,” said sophomore Madeline Hicks.  

This is a prime example of what I would call excessive packing, because for a six-day trip you only need one swimsuit each day. 

If you are planning on shopping, pack your suitcase a little lighter so you don’t have to ship anything back home. 

Many people seem to think “touristy” activities such as tours, excursions, cultural sightings and day trips are not worthwhile, but I think otherwise. I believe immersing yourself as a tourist is truly the best way to vacation. 

I recommend you do tourism activities this spring break, explore the new places you are in, step foot in a different culture and have fun doing it because you won’t always have these opportunities back home. 

Do enjoy every moment; breaks move fast, so use up all the time you have. Do something fun, but don’t go scrolling through social media when you can use your free time for something valuable. 

Get off your phone and get to doing something that you won’t regret. 

Along with enjoying every moment, it’s important you don’t spend your time worrying about school. 

The end of the year can be very stressful with grades wrapping up, but we have this break to relax. 

“I never do schoolwork over a break; it’s my time and I can always do that stuff later,” said sophomore Alex Colapietro. 

Step away from the academics and step into an alleviating state of mind. 

And for my last point, which I believe is my most helpful, is don’t eat or drink anything you are going to regret later. 

I can name numerous people who are lactose intolerant or gluten free, like myself, but sometimes the satisfaction of consuming the food outweighs the consequences which will be received later. 

This spring break I am advising all of you, including myself, to be careful what you eat. 

Since we have such little time on break, most will probably want to spend it having fun and going out rather than staying in and feeling sick, so remember this next time you buy chocolate ice cream. 

I think this last “don’t” is applicable to many other things: don’t do anything you will regret this break. 

Have fun out there and safe travels.