I love Spring Break. So does the rest of the world. My only problem is that I think its too short. Usually, breaks are a mess. People to see, places to go, food to eat, relatives to entertain… The list goes on and on, so that relaxing break really just turns out to be a jumble of stuff that you did, stuff you meant to do, and stuff that just happened without any planning at all.
But this break? It was a little bit different. As a sort of last hurrah, my dad decided that our family (my two younger siblings, my parents, and myself) would all go to St. Croix together. My sister is a senior, like many of you, and with my brother in high school, we have no idea if and when our breaks will line up in the future. Or my dad just wanted an excuse for a beach vacation. Either way, the five of us enjoyed almost a full week of sun, sand, and beach reading. This was all definitely relaxing, but there was one moment in particular that wiped the slate, so to speak, and prepared me for the upcoming marathon to the end of the year. Strangely enough, this moment happened 35 feet underwater.
See, my dad loves to snorkel. No complaints there. I like it as much as anybody else, even though I feel really silly with that mask on. Now that my younger brother is older, we decided to try scuba. I knew it would be fun, but I was wholly unprepared for it. It might be obvious, but there is very little sound underwater. It was kind of eerie, actually. It was the silence that happens when there's a light snowstorm, but times a thousand. Add to that the fact that though I was with a group of 5 including a sort of guide, I felt wholly alone. The ocean is huge. It was me and the fish and the open ocean stretching forever away. None of the sounds that we hear every day exist underwater. No honking horns, roaring engines, or even the heater ticking away. Even though I was trying pretty hard not to bump into the coral or float away, it was like I was suddenly removed from the craziness that is life. Somebody hit the pause button for a moment, and I've never been so grateful for it.
So with that in mind, I encourage you all to try to find this moment. Go underwater if you like and are able to, but I'm sure there are places and times like this one above sea level. Wherever you are in your college search, a mental reset after a hard week, or even a day, is awesome. For students waiting for decisions, take a breather and remove yourself from the constant email refreshing. For those in midterms, it will pass. For everybody else, it never hurts to take a moment to yourself. It's worth it!