Spring the day away with Andrew

For one full week, students will be off of school for spring break. Here’s my schedule of how I’ll spend my vacation. Here’s my schedule for how I would prefer to spend my break. Sadly, I’m not throwing any ragers in Santa Cruz.

9 a.m. – Andrew awakens

There’s only so few times a year that one can sleep in. But, there’s no use losing the whole day to sleep nor losing sleep to your day.

9:30 a.m.  Get some steps in

Exercise, however light, is a rejuvenating process. Since spring is a time for renewal, it is best to get acts of healing like exercise done this season. In the mornings, I’m usually groggy so a nice walk with the dogs around a couple blocks is a nice way to start the day. While I’m walking, I always like to listen to something that gets my brain thinking, like “The Rachel Maddow Show”. Quite thrilling, I know.

10 a.m.  Sizzling is soothing

I love cooking breakfast in the mornings. It is such a soothing process. When I cook, I like to put on a podcast called “Two Hot Takes,” which is essentially a show where you get to gawk and judge at people’s business as the hosts dish their own takes on someone’s drama. Usually, I make a delicious egg sandwich topped off with sriracha mayo sauce. Then, a nice cup of orange juice and a banana on the side.

12:30 p.m. Out and about

Libraries are amazing. Not only are they a great place to get some needed books when you’re doing some research, but they’re a great place to do your work if your home is too distracting. Whenever I have free time, I love to work on a novel that I will never release, or just journal about my life. I just love some good me-time, especially at the library. After I’m done, I’ll walk over to my local Ameci’s Pizza and Pasta, buy a slice to eat at home and some fries for the road.

2 p.m. Show some gratitude

Although it is spring break, I’m still a high school student. I won’t be able to get off of spring break doing nothing. Whenever I get off of school early, I love to go to Operation Gratitude. Since I’m out of school an entire week, I might as well head there. Operation Gratitude is a charity organization that sends care packages to military personnel stationed abroad and their children, since they are sacrificing something as well. The deliveries often include teddy bears, letters and any other trinket that can lift someone’s spirits. My job there is very mundane. I simply roll up stickers, which are then sent across their centers to assist those assembling packages. It is a small and easy way to help out. Additionally, it doesn’t hurt that the place is staffed by incredibly accommodating people.

4 p.m. Spring Cleaning

My house is usually a mess. A working family, plus kids and elders can do that to a household. So it won’t hurt to do some spring cleaning. I don’t get a lot of opportunities to do some deep cleaning in the house, so when I do, I use it. A clean house goes a long way in feeling good.

7 p.m. TV with my family, finally.

Every night, my mother and I watch  “The Handmaid’s Tale.” It is an amazing piece of television that covers harsh topics with amazing performances. Since the sixth season releases during the break, we have a lot of the series left to binge. For my family, whether it is dinner or just watching television, this is a rare period to be together with our convoluting schedules.

9 p.m.  Read, Rest, Relax.

Usually, I go to sleep right after shutting my laptop off after finishing whatever document I’m working on. This time, I’m going to actually wind down and read under the candle light. Lately, I’ve been reading “Covered With Night,” a Pulitzer Prize-winning book about how the murder of an Indigenous man shakes up a Pennsylvanian town in early America. I’m also a big sucker for memoirs by politicians like “True Gretch” and “Becoming.”

10 p.m. Slumber

Spring is a time for renewal and to rid one’s life of the problems of the previous season. As I drift off to sleep, I’ll sleep comfortably knowing I’ve used this spring day well. But, how would you spend your day?