The Paw Print

By Zuzanna Dabrowski, Staff Writer

“Chicago’s 12 seasons” has been a recent trend on social media, with people renaming and splitting up the 4 seasons into a list of 12. Many people find it weirdly accurate, especially with there being a claim that Chicago has three whole separate winters with false springs in between. 

Knowing this, spring break is one of the most awaited events for the Payton student body. Tired after the cold weather of Chicago and the work-heavy third quarter of the year, it seems as though anyone would like nothing more than to escape. But the question we are all wondering is: what makes a vacation spot good for a Payton student? 

After interviewing a batch of Payton students, The Paw Print has the answers. We asked them, “If someone approached you and asked, ‘If I could go anywhere in the world for spring break, where should I go?’ What would your response be?” Surprisingly, there were many different answers to this question. While there were definitely fan favorites, like Italy (14%), Hawaii (12%), Japan (9%) and even Brazil (4%) and Puerto Rico (4%), the variety proves that families are influenced by more than just what may be currently trending.

Perhaps the most sought-after quality for a vacation site is that it is not a “tourist-y” spot. Some students did not care about the location, but rather the people. Anna Buckley ‘27 said, “To be honest, my ideal spring break would be renting a house or a hotel room with a large group of friends and spending time together for a week, no matter the destination.” 

Keilee Billena ‘28 gave a similarly heartfelt answer, stating how if they could go anywhere in the world, they would still choose to go to their grandmother’s house. 

Students also took much interest in the culture of the place they were visiting. Payton has great pride in the diversity of our school, with our large range of cultural clubs giving students the opportunity to celebrate and also explore new cultures. Some of the favorites for the culture included Japan. As Sofia Iliescu ’29 responded, “Japan is a really beautiful place in my opinion and [has a] very interesting culture.” 

Another student who is going to Japan for spring break, Adella Meldrum-Taylor ‘29, said, “I have never been to Japan, but from what I have heard about it, their culture is a very beautiful and unique blend of traditions that cannot be found elsewhere.”

On the other hand, Lizzy Fedea ‘29 said, “If they like the beach, then Grand Cayman. [I]f they want to go on an interesting, cultural vacation, then France or Italy.” 

Noah Samis ‘29 also said, “I would go to Italy because of all of the food and culture everywhere.” When they think of Italy, most people immediately think of the delicious Italian food and the incredible historic places to visit, so it is no surprise that it would be so many students’ place of choice. 

A few students felt very passionate about their responses. Oliver Wainwright ‘28 recommended Switzerland, saying that “when I went I really enjoyed the beaches, the food was lovely, and the cities were very clean. It probably is best to know French going in though.” Although Switzerland is known for its beauty and isn’t exactly a hidden gem of a vacation spot, it is not a mainstream destination. To back this up, Wainwright was the only student which we surveyed who said Switzerland. 

One of the most striking things was the near-zero correlation between students’ top places and where they are actually going for spring break. The two most popular destinations for spring break this year are Cancun, Mexico and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Students particularly mentioned the warm weather and beautiful beaches for both of these locations when asked why they were going there. 

Although it is unlikely that they would recommend a spot that they have never been to before, none of the destinations that people are travelling to this year were popular among the recommendations. This leads us to wonder, what actually matters to Payton students when choosing where to travel?  

The most prominent reason was none other than visiting or travelling with family or friends. 54% of people who are travelling this year for spring break mentioned either their family or friends when explaining their place of choice. 

The second most popular reason was college visits, which 17% of students mentioned. Payton has always been known for its intensive academic levels, so it is no surprise that so many students are taking advantage of this break and using the opportunity to visit college campuses. Furthermore, 17% of students mentioned how their vacation spot was either affordable or all-inclusive, which highlights the financial responsibility and understanding of the student body. 

If you are looking for a new country to add to your bucket list, some of the more unique recommendations from Payton students included Ireland, Ibiza, Indonesia, Colombia, China, Taiwan, Spain, Aruba and Barbados. As for places in America, Atlanta, New York City and Colorado were all top recommendations. It is essential to remember that you don’t have to look far to find beautiful places, and that sometimes your ideal vacation spot can be right under your nose or where you least expect it.