Spring break in most areas means warm weather, hitting up the beach, and rooftop parties. Spring break in Portland means rain, snowboarding and staying in to watch movies on TV. Any kind of skinny-dipping around here will lead to hypothermia. For a lot of out-of-state students, this is quite the drastic change. Many students come from the sunny beaches of Southern California and the scorching heat deserts of Arizona. Those lucky enough to sneak back to their hometowns over break are in for a rude awakening if they expect sunny days by the time they come back for school.
Coming from SoCal, I’m used to hacking up an old pair of jeans into shorts during spring. Now, I’m continually shopping winter wear no matter the season. It’s funny that I’ve fallen into some of the habits I use to make fun of. I use to think people were crazy to wear shorts and tank tops when it was 65 degrees outside. That was still way too cold and out of the question for me. Now, I’m the one digging through my closet to pull out a sundress on a 60-degree day. I’ve learned to make the best of clear sky days and appreciate every peek of sunshine we get.
Did you flee anywhere during spring break? Was weather a strong motive?