Spring break is coming up! Have you booked your trip to Cabo with your girlfriends yet?
Oh wait, you can’t. Because you’re no longer in college, you used up most of your vacation time during Christmas break, and you have bills to pay.
Welcome to the working world.
March can seem like any other month when you’re a working professional; however, it doesn’t have to be that way! Here are a few ideas to feel like you’re on spring break and bring some of the fun home to you.
1. Read a book
Spring break is a time to relax and catch up on the hobbies that you lose time for during the rest of the year, such as reading.
Put together a list of the top three books you’ve been dying to read and buy them: self-help books, celebrity memoirs, novels, you name it. Even if it’s just 20 minutes, carve out some time each night to curl up with your favorite book to ease your way into sleep.
Reading before bed can be a great stress-reliever and a positive habit to develop not just during spring break period but year round, so why not start now?
Related: These Are The 5 Books From 2016 You HAVE To Read
2. Make cocktails with your girlfriends
You might not be able to drink fruity cocktails in a tiki hut on the beach, but you can bring the party to your home!
Invite your girlfriends over and make a night of creating cocktails from unique recipes to recreate the spring break experience. You can find fun drink accessories like umbrellas and straws at a party store or the dollar store.
Here are a few recipes to get you started.
3. Do an at-home spa treatment
What better way to unwind after a long day at work than to come home to a soothing bubble bath?
At-home spa treatments are easy to prepare, don’t have to cost a ton of money, and will instantly take you back to your spring break days relaxing on the beach.
There are a number of things you can do at home to pamper yourself. Take a bubble bath with your favorite Lush bath bombs. Do a DIY facemask or a hair mask with products already in your kitchen. Give yourself a manicure and pedicure. Whatever you choose, it can be beneficial to give yourself an hour after work to tune out the world and relax.
4. Explore your own city
While you might not have time to truly get away, it is likely that you haven't explored all of the major tourist attractions available in your city. Whether you're currently employed in the city in which you grew up, or you're still navigating a new city, playing tourist can be a lot of fun, and oftentimes not cost a ton of money.
Colie Lumbreras, a Web Content Administrator at NorthShore University HealthSystem, describes her experience exploring more of her current home, Chicago, during spring break. "I like to do a staycation where I play tourist for a day and go downtown," she says. "I will eat somewhere delicious, visit a museum or take a tour that I normally wouldn't do. It's a nice break from the 'usual' weekends and it gives me a chance to explore my own backyard!"
Lauryn Higgins, a graduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, was bummed when she couldn't join her friends who were still undergrads on their spring break plans, so she came up with a break of her own. "For the five week nights that would have been my spring break, I planned something small and fun to do. I rented a kayak with a few friends and after work, kayaked down the French Broad River, the next night I grabbed a slice of pizza and saw a three-dollar movie, the third night I went to a free concert in town, the fourth night I attended a trivia night with friends where the winners won free beer and gift cards, and the last night, my girlfriends and I had a sleepover and watched movies and drank wine."
She adds, "It was a fun and inexpensive way to treat myself for an entire week, and I've kept the tradition alive and well for two years now. You don't have to give up the fun and excitement of spring break even though you're not in college. You just have to be more creative."
Related: 8 Mini Getaways You Can Take in Your Own City
5. Start an art project
In keeping with the DIY theme, spring break can be a great time to utilize your creativity in a fun way with your friends.
Have a large container of wine corks that’s been collecting for years? Do something with it! There are a number of items you can create with wine corks, such as a bulletin board, cork coasters, and tabletop art. YouTube has easy-to-follow tutorials on these cork projects and more.
You can also invite your friends over for a night of painting! Draw a beach scene or any other spring-break themed image to transport back to that time.
It can feel depressing to imagine your college friends planning their spring breaks while you’re stuck in your cubicle. However, with these tips, you can get just a little bit closer to the real thing.