Photo courtesy of Sofia Peregrino.
Sofia Peregrino and her friends are cruising through Miami’s Skyline on a boat.
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By Isabella Ferrou
TAMPA, Fla. — For many college students, spring break is a time to have fun, make memories, and strengthen bonds with friends. While some students tend to go to warm tropical destinations or big cities, others take this time and spend it with their loved ones or stay near campus to work. While traveling and experiencing new things may be gratifying, I asked UTampa students on campus whether their trip left them drained or rejuvenated.
For 20-year-old sophomore Sofia Peregrino, her spring break in Miami was filled with memories and different experiences she says she will never forget. While there were some complications with transportation due to missing the bus, they were able to resolve the issue and enjoy their trip regardless.
Peregrino and her roommate visited some friends who study at Florida International University, and they showed them around the hottest tourist spot for spring breakers. Throughout those six days, Peregrino indulged in Miami’s top restaurants, shopped at Sawgrass Mall, visited Miami’s best beaches, and went sightseeing on a boat. They also were able to experience Miami’s nightlife, and she was overall very happy with how her trip went.
While Peregrino’s trip to Miami exceeded her expectations, getting back into her routine was difficult. Peregrino said that although it kept her motivated, she got used to the carefree lifestyle, which made it difficult to adjust.
“After a week of not having to follow a routine or not having to wake up early, it was hard for me to start the week with the same energy I had, and I felt a little drained,” said Peregrino.
Second-year Liz Moreno also had a great time during her spring break, but had health setbacks, which made her struggle to come back to school with the same enthusiasm as before. Moreno traveled around the U.S., starting at Texas A&M to visit her boyfriend and finishing her trip in Washington, D.C. to see some friends from back home.
In Texas, Moreno was able to spend some quality time with her boyfriend, eat good food, and get to know new people. As for her time in Washington, D.C., she was able to see all of the important monuments and go out and catch up with old friends.
Although Moreno was able to relax and had no responsibilities for the first couple of days, reality set in when she caught a cold and stomach bug while traveling back to Tampa.
“I just didn’t want to come back to study and go to work because I was sick and wasn’t feeling my best,” Moreno said.
In all, Moreno believed she made a good choice to visit her loved ones and was happy that she was able to go on this trip.
Carmen Zurita, a master’s student in instructional design and technology at UTampa, decided to stay near campus this year and focus on her well-being and studies. Because she is getting her master’s degree and working 20 hours per week on campus, Zurita noticed she needed time to wind down this break.
Zurita was able to work in the early mornings, which left her a lot of time to relax and do the things she loved. Her activities included going to the beach and pool, spending quality time with her cat, doing pilates, and journaling. She was also able to catch up on some work from her rigorous classes and study all of the material included in her finals.
“Once I was done with my shift at work, I would basically do things for my mental health and be able to prepare for all the finals and final projects that are coming up,” said Zurita.
After this break, Zurita was ready to continue pursuing her master’s degree and enjoyed the time she had with herself.
Even though Zurita felt energized after her break, Peregrino and Moreno had a difficult time getting back into the swing of things. This proves that while action-packed trips can be emotionally fulfilling, they often leave students physically drained when returning to campus.