Spring break: not always restful

By Ana Ruiz Brictson | Staff Writer

As we approach the middle of the semester and we look forward to a full week of break from school, it may be challenging to go back home after not being there for a while.

Experiencing the college life away from parents or guardians can be very liberating at times. Making our own decisions and learning to live more independently can be a routine most of us get used to; however, at the end of the day, while we are still in school, many of us rely on going back home during breaks to reminisce.

After my first semester at Baylor, I went back home the next summer excited to see my friends and family. Don’t get me wrong, it was great at first. But after the first month of being home, I kept dreading the thought that I had two more months to go.

Thinking through it, I realized that going back home meant I was not living the normal life I was used to while I was away in college. Most of my friends stayed in my hometown for school, and therefore many things hadn’t changed for them.

Family-wise, I had five months without having to think of the drama that would sometimes go on inside the house, and it was overwhelming having to deal with it all over again.

To be fair, it is no one’s fault that I occasionally feel worried about going back home. Everyone is living their own life, and feeling like I am about to walk into a scenario different from the one I left — which sometimes is the case — is what keeps me from wanting to go back for a longer span of time.

I know spring break is just a week, but we all live different lives, and for many, seven days is just enough time for things to fall apart.

My suggestion for those who are dreading going back home is to make the most out of the situation. Soon enough, those seven days will pass by and you will return to your life at Baylor.

One of the things that has helped me get through the day at home is always keeping myself busy. I get that the point of a break is to spend it relaxing and not having things to do, but this can be done through small tasks each day. This helps me by making me feel like I am doing something and distracting me from other things that may be going on.

I sincerely hope that for everyone going back home, this break is actually a break and not an overwhelming load of emotions and situations you hopefully didn’t have to go through this semester.

Ana Ruiz Brictson is a junior, Journalism, News-Editorial major, from Monterrey, Mexico. She loves to play tennis and piano, write, and watch TV shows. She is always opened to hear people’s stories and enjoys listening to others open up.