Okay, so quoting <em>Spring Break</em> was probably not a good idea. Going abroad to St. Petersburg, Florida to get arrested and rob crime lords isn’t really a great way in general to enjoy your reading week. Instead I’ve gathered up some things you can do both through Waterloo and on your own during reading week (provided midterms don’t ruin it for you).
Here at Waterloo we have a few ways you can spend reading week — the university hosts a few trips that you can embark on to make your reading week worthwhile.
St. Jerome’s University offers “Go Guatemala,” a trip to — you guessed it — Guatemala during reading week. It is a great trip because you get to work and live at an orphanage while helping out kids and their community in a country that is so different from Canada. Conrad Grebel also has various trips and excursions for you Grebelites looking to get off campus.
Around town, Winterloo will be going on from Feb. 15-17, and while it is geared towards families, it has free public skating at Waterloo Public Square, ice carvings, and yummy food.
On Feb. 19 and 20 there is an entire night dedicated to Pink Floyd and the <em>Dark Side of the Moon</em> at Centre in the Square (brownies will not be provided).
There is also the KW Polar Plunge on Feb. 22, which involves pulling out that forgotten bathing suit or costume, raising some money for charity, and dunking yourself in an icy pool for shits and giggles. Suddenly the bit of weight you put on this season will come in handy.
If you want to flee Waterloo altogether, I suggest heading over to Projects Abroad for some alternative spring breaks. You could spend your reading week building houses in Jamaica, or saving turtles and hanging out with crocodiles in Mexico.
Volunteering in general is an awesome way to spend your reading week. If you want to volunteer locally, lend a hand at St. John’s Kitchen, bring some treats and toys to the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society, or spend time at any of the other countless local charities. And of course, there is always the option of the usual places. Visit Red Tag, Student City, or S-Trip (under their spring break section) for tropical escapes that are alcohol soaked and scantily dressed. Heck, on S-Trip’s website there is even a UWaterloo student giving her experience on the popular Punta Cana trip!
My sister is signed up for their high school version and has not stopped talking about it, so if her excitement is any indication, it looks like a really fun time.
Or, of course, you can spend your reading week like I plan to: curled up in PJs, reading <em>Dance with Dragons</em>, watching <em>Pushing Daisies, </em>and ignoring my textbooks all week. Sometimes the best vacation is getting to do absolutely nothing at all.
No matter what your plans are, be sure to spend your reading week doing whatever makes you happiest. Enjoy your time off and see you all in midterm season.
