That’s right, by the time you read this, it will be less than five days to Spring Break. I’m sure most of you would rather not take the time off, but instead just keep plowing towards the end of this fantastic term. Not me: I’m all jazzed up about the time off, but I have this little issue of deciding what to do. Thankfully, I’ve signed up for each and every trip that has been offered to me for Spring Break. I wasn’t ready to commit during Foundations when everyone was planning these trips and requiring deposits, so I used the same strategy as on Club sign-up day, and just signed up for everything. Now I just need to decide which option to choose. You be the judge. Below is a list of options, with some related pros and cons. Take a read through each one and then vote by sending an email to thatguy@springbreak.com.
Costa Rica
Pros:
o I believe the one they call “Stiffler” is going. With a nickname like that, a good time is sure to follow in his wake.
o I’ll get to see at least ten of my classmates burned to a crisp in the hot Costa Rican sun.
o The plan for the trip is beaches, drinking, beaches, drinking and more beaches. How can you beat that?
o Two words: “HBS Love”
Cons:
o My swollen, aching liver is cringing at the thought.
o There will be so many HBS-ers there that I am afraid it will feel like the Spangler common room all over again. All that will be missing is the wireless network, so people sitting less 10 feet from each other will actually have to speak, rather than IM-ing each other.
o I will likely be one of those people burned to a crisp when I pass out on the beach at 1 PM after a lack of sleep and excess enjoyment catches up with me
Aruba
Pros:
o What can possibly be bad about a week long Caribbean Island vacation?
o White sand beaches, warm sun, cool beer, not a case to be found….. Ahhhhhhh
o They talk about Aruba in that Kokomo song, so it must be cool.
Cons:
o It’s a bit of a couples’ scene and yours truly is sans date. What are the odds of finding a cute girl while on vacation with six couples on a small island?
o One of the activities is golf. Golf? How old are we? Is this what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life?
South Africa Trek
Pros:
o Safaris, wine tasting, mountain climbing, shark diving – what an adventure!
o It’s summer south of the equator, so the weather is sure to be good
o We read about it in BGIE and the Johnic case was based there. If it’s good enough for two HBS cases it’s good enough for me.
Cons:
o Shark diving? Have I lost my mind already? Do I really need more of an adventure, or is HBS enough for me without traveling 8,000 hours on a plane to prove myself to people I see every day?
o We also had a BGIE case about Russia and I haven’t heard a lot of talk about a Siberia trek, so that may be an imperfect indicator.
Sailing in BVI
Pros:
o Cool ocean breezes.
o You move around a lot, but only have to unpack once (Isn’t that what all of those cheesy ads for cruises use as a selling feature?).
o There were ample opportunities for romance on the Love Boat, maybe this will be the same (see marital status in Aruba section if you’ve forgotten already).
Cons:
o Seasickness
o A week crammed into a small boat with a few fellow HBS-ers. I like you guys, but …
Vacation with the parents
Pros:
o Someone else will pick up the tab.
o I probably won’t have to pass out drunk on a hardwood floor every night.
Cons:
o There’s a reason we don’t all still live at home.
o How much fun can I have being home in bed by 8:30 every night?
o CitiAssist is paying anyway, so I shouldn’t let cost influence my decision, should I?
Network Job Search from the comforts of my beautiful Morris Hall Room
Pros:
o The CitiAssist gravy train has almost run out (for this year), so it looks like I will actually need a job for the summer if I plan on eating. And I do plan on eating.
o I am starting to fall in love with this beautiful Boston weather, so it would be a shame to leave town now that it is getting so nice.
o More meals in Spangler. I think I would go through withdrawal if I were gone for a whole week. I barely made it through Christmas Break, it’s too soon to leave again.
Cons:
o This really seems like the perfect Spring Break; I can’t think of a single con for this one.
As you can see, there is no shortage of options. Each one clearly has a strong list of pros, and very few cons, many of which I’m sure can be overcome, but I think there is one clear leader. Nevertheless, I will let you be the judge. Please email your votes to thatguy@springbreak.com. Voting ends Friday at noon so that I can make it onto the appropriate flight if you happen to choose something other than the unparalleled network job search option.
