Welcome back to The Jack, spring breakers!
To my college readers, I hope you are all adjusting comfortably to your return to school, and I wish you the best of luck in the final stretch of the semester. As for the rest of you, happy Monday! This letter is indeed a week late because I wanted to focus on relaxing for my last two free weeks of the year.
I spent a lot of time on airplanes this spring break. Typically, as soon as I enter the plane, I burrow my head into my neck pillow and prepare to sleep for the entirety of the flight. On my most recent flights, however, I have been doing a little more than sleeping —I have been crying (I’m a Cancer). There is something about a long journey on a flying, isolated vehicle that prompts me to tackle the thoughts I have spent time avoiding.
As surreal as it may feel, being a junior in college means that I am preparing for the foreseeable end. That is, the end of my standard education (as far as I know), the end of my time with some of my peers, the end of my time at home, and thus the end of some of the most formative years of my life. Therefore, upon reflection, there are a few changes I want to make in my life to establish a better standard of living for my future self.
Although they are a bit topical, these are things I decided I am going to do before I finish college, and continue to do after the fact:
Reach out more
Be a better sister
Ask more follow-up questions
The most valuable facet of my life is the strength of my interpersonal relationships, so it is my job to engage with them to ensure that they don’t see the end alongside my undergraduate years.
With that, no one likes to be trapped in their thoughts (if you think otherwise let me know), but crying on planes is refreshing because you then get to leave and enjoy the fruits of your destination. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel to Colombia for the first week of spring break. When we stepped out of the plane we were welcomed with a fresh wave of heat that we had not felt in months and it was invigorating.
This letter is an ode to more people, more trips, and more tears.
The Box:
In the box this week, I will dissect the things that provided me relief after my moments of deep thought.
Colombiana:
I spent a week in Cartagena and these are my recommendations.
Eating:
La Única: The tacos paired with the ambiance made this place insane.
La Cevichería: Raw fish? I think yes. We underestimated the portions at this restaurant, so we ordered the largest plate. We ate so much ceviche that night, but it was delicious. We also got to enjoy our meal with a side of live music.
Daily Doings:
Street Markets: The markets in Getsemani are worth a visit. They sold a lot of amazing handmade jewelry for such great prices!
Backflips off boats: One of the best mini trips we took on our trip was a boat tour of the Rosario Islands. Where we were greeted with amazing music and food.
Clubbing:
Surprisingly, Cartagena was packed with college students on spring break, and here is where we ran into them the most.
La Movida:
Alquimico:
Tackling Number 2 on my list:
For my second week of spring break, I went home to Atlanta to spend time with my family. This is my attempt at making the most of my time spent at home, and showing up for my siblings. My little sister, Gloria, asked me to attend her 7th grade band concert, so I said yes. She didn’t notice that my older sister and I followed her into the practice room to see her perform during the sight-reading portion of the concert. We yelled her name until she turned around, and she was so embarrassed to see us in the room (even though she asked me to come). I haven’t been to a middle school band concert since I was in the band, and all I can say is good job, Gloria!
Excerpts from my friend’s trip to Japan:
Leo, Andres, and a few other friends of mine spent time in Japan this past break. I was mesmerized by their plans, and convinced Japan was going to be a transformational experience for them—I was right. Here are some highlights from their trip.
Karaoke: Who goes to Japan and doesn’t do karaoke?
Monkey Park?: But can’t look the monkeys directly in the eyes, they get aggressive.
Bullet Train: That’s Mount Fuji sitting in the back, enough said.
Omakase: Where the chef chooses your meal for you.
Japanese Beer: It looks like beer is leaving its mark on our generation, and Japan is leading the charge—Leo says the beer in Japan is phenomenal.
Free Matcha: Only at Okochi Sanso Garden
Song of the Week:
These are all of the songs that made me cry while I was in transit. I’m not completely sure what about them led me to bawl my eyes out but give them a listen.
Song 1: Shark Smile
Song 2: Stoned at the Nail Salon
Song 3: Sadness as a Gift
Song 4: Thunder
Song 5: Call it Fate, Call it Karma
I hope you enjoyed The Jack. Until next time, Dona, out.
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What’s Next?:
Give me any suggestions you have for something I should try next!
Wholesome read Dona!!