In the midst of a war in the Middle East, rising fuel prices and Transportation Security Administration staffing shortages amid a partial government shutdown, students were still eager to get out and vacation for spring break this year.
An increasing trend this year has been roadtrips, according to The Sheffield Press. Providing flexibility and outdoor experiences, roadtrips saw a 12% increase in travel bookings this year versus last. Popular destinations for roadtrips include many National Parks, namely the Great Smoky Mountains, the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone.
Due to high costs, many students have elected to travel closer to home, mainly domestically, according to traveltomorrow.com. Traveling within the United States provides students with easier access to flights and lower costs as budget airlines continue to expand their domestic offerings.
In typical fashion, Florida remained a top destination for students this year, according to traveltomorrow.com. Hotspots like Miami and Fort Lauderdale have remained spring break staples for years, and that trend has not broken.
Domestically, other popular destinations included Las Vegas, New York City, Los Angeles and Honolulu, according to Travel Pulse.
Internationally, Cancun stood as the top destination, with others including Punta Cana, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Columbia, according to The Travel Byrds.
With some URI students staying home for break, it gave the opportunity to take part in local festivities, according to second-year Ella Pezzullo.
“Me and some of my college friends went to the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Boston,” Pezzullo said. “We went to Chinatown after and just walked around Boston.”
The week in its entirety allowed for some much needed home time, according to Pezzullo.
“During the week I stayed home,” Pezzullo said. “I helped my mom, picked up my brothers from school, got my nails done and just chilled with some of my hometown friends.”
Other URI students went away, soaking up the sun and visiting new places, according to second-year Mattingly Alaimo, who traveled to Puerto Rico. Even with the traveling going well, there were still some concerns.
“We were really nervous,” Alaimo said. “The lady who was going to taxi us sent us a video of the TSA line that was probably five hours long.”
In Alaimo’s case, the situation turned out to not be an issue.
“Our flight was at 12 p.m.,” Alaimo said. “We got to the airport at 7:30 a.m. and got through TSA in around 45 minutes.”
Financially, things did not seem out of the ordinary, according to Alaimo.
“[Money was] not really a problem,” Alaimo said. “Things were obviously more expensive because you are traveling and stuff. The airport was a little bit expensive, but nothing was too crazy.”
As students return to campus following the break, a feeling of restfulness and preparedness is falling over, according to Alaimo. As the year winds down and finals approach, spring break allowed students to rest and recharge before the end of year grind.
