Break it down now y'all

The break: Oft-praised and ever so anticipated. "Spring: The time when a young man's fancy turns to love"? Well, perhaps; if the fancy in question is the prospect of a vacation from school and the accompaning stress and responsibilities.

But as for myself -- I do not share the common adoration of the break. In fact, I was downright saddened by the prospect of the Februrary break this month. It appears to me that often, things start getting really good right before a recess from that thing. My enjoyment of school saw a grand crescendo leading up to that second week of February, and although I was not sad to have a break from homework and my less-liked classes, I missed the social aspect of school.

However, I look forward to summer vacation significantly more than the common recess. I think this is because summer vacation is an entity of its own, a new period of the year, while school breaks are merely a halt in the nine-month school process. While most breaks are only about a week or a little more, summer vacation is long enough to really do stuff.

This past February break, my family and I vacationed in Florida, the unfortunately and seemingly permenant home of my maternal grandparents. While I missed my friends greatly, and very much enjoyed seeing my grandparents. Now that they have moved to Florida full-time (sniff), I can only see them around three time a year, which, to use a common phrase, stinks. Familial reunions aside, Florida is really fun -- my grandparents' apartment complex has two heated pools, a ping-pong table, and a fitness room at our disposal; in addition, it is literally two minutes away from the public beach and the broadwalk.

Although I don't have any contact with my friends, save for some instant messaging, I love vacationing in Florida because I rarely get bored, whereas this is a huge and frightening danger if I were to stay home. But I still get to sleep late (!!!). Which is, of course, fundamental to enjoying vacation, as anyone will testify. I very much enjoy having no shortage of activities as if I simply loaf around all day or all break, I feel lazy and therefore inadequate as well as bored. Florida is the perfect mix: swimming, beaching, walking, biking, exercising, or tanning (just kidding)for more defined activities, and then I can read, write, talk to my grandparents, IM, or break out the ol' drum practice pad back in the apartment.

All in all -- breaks are generally good, summer vacation is better (if there's enough to do), and Florida is good but only if you're not there for too long because then it gets irritating. (Every time we go down, there are more and more high-rise condominiums destroying the beautiful beachline!)

Oh, and the highlight of the Florida trip? Two magical rides in my dad's friend's MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE. Yeah.