A New Take on Spring Break

It’s time to face the harsh reality: I no longer have an official spring break. It’s been nearly two years since I left the comfy bubble of college yet I’m still coming to terms with this fact. I have an especially hard time knowing that my boyfriend, a law school student, still has a spring break.

This year, I declared one day of spring break for myself. My boyfriend and I took an extended weekend at Orange Beach, our dear Redneck Riviera.

This was not the beach trip of our college days where we divided our time equally between laying out on the beach and the hanging out at the FloraBama (and plenty of sleeping in to recover from the latter). In fact, we did not visit the establishment at all. This time I experienced a different side of Orange Beach and discovered that I really like it.

Now, I never really thought of myself as a “beach” person. For one, my fair skin and the sun do not get along. No matter how much sunscreen I slather on I always end up with weird blotchy burns. Second, it’s hard to like the beach when one is not a fan of sand. Third, I grew up in a household where a familiar saying was, “If you’ve seen one beach, you’ve seen them all.”

After this trip, however, I discovered that there is something at Alabama’s beautiful beaches for everyone—even us pale, indoorsy people. To me, the best part about the Gulf is its laid-back, unpretentious atmosphere. It’s hard to be stressed about anything when you close your eyes, listen to the waves rolling onto the shore and feel the sun on your skin. And I love the fact that you really don’t need to get too dressed up to go anywhere at the beach. Flops and un-done hair are pretty much okay everywhere.

Of course, when you take a trip to the Gulf you have to take advantage of the fresh seafood. It’s the perfect excuse to gorge yourself because, hey, you don’t get this kind of food everyday. If you go off the beaten path, you can find some great (often quirky) local restaurants with extremely reasonable prices and delicious food. Thus, the foodies are happy.

Some of my favorite memories of the beach are the evenings and late nights spent with friends and family, just sitting out on the balcony and having great conversation. Being by the sea somehow seems to set our priorities straight. The small, ultimately insignificant stresses of everyday life wash away and we remember what’s really important.