It’s March Madness, and Spring is in full swing!

Welcoming a new season is anticipated as the days get longer and time outdoors  increases. 

   Are you preparing for Spring Break? Across the country, schools are closing for a week or various days during March and April for the needed time to rest and rejuvenate for upcoming assessment and end of the year exams. 

    Have you scoped out a few places to visit?  

    Most families plan local activities but if you are traveling further or to first time destinations, here are few tips to keep you and yours safe and engaged:

 Will you hit the road, pack your vehicle and portable chargers to a nearby campsite?

Do you like the luxury of a train ride? Did you know that acclaimed young adult author JK Rowling began crafting the Harry Potter series on a train ride? Now there’s something to be said about the scenic escapes of a train ride…

Or did you book travel on your favorite airline, prepping your crew for the check-in process, the noise and sensations of “take off” and pondering on how to figure out your seating choices? 

 I used to love our family vacations to the south in the Hampton Roads Virginia area ~yet those were mostly in the summer. As an avid reader, I knew to have at least two good books for the journey. My all-time favorite is Beloved by the phenomenal Toni Morrison. She transformed my perspective as an urban teen. It was an option for my college English class (I took it in high school) and I think it struck a chord in me. At that time, I was searching for different voices in my college prep school experience. Our society seemed to reflect it; so why couldn’t I find diverse choices for a required literary analysis assignment? Yes, it was heavy historical post-Civil War fiction, but I devoured every drop. Her mind was fascinating

to have created it.  

     What are the facts about people just taking their regular vacation time? Only 48 percent of US workers report using all of their vacation time. Since I grew up in Brooklyn, our spring breaks were mostly local ventures-the Prospect Park Zoo, or visiting Coney Island and the Aquarium were our options. They were just two trains or buses away. Sometimes we’d visit my mother's friends in Pennsylvania or New Jersey. 

How do you select your destinations?  

    Although it may seem like extra prep work, you are creating memories which will prove to last a lifetime. Cherish the time together. Remember, it’s about balance, if you work hard, one MUST play hard. Blessings!