Some of us might still be seeing snow outside our dorm windows, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t start getting ready for our spring break getaways. Planning now provides more time to find good deals and makes for less scheduling stress as the departure date draws nearer.

Here are some travel tips to keep in mind:

Students can get cheaper airfare and train tickets than older adults by using travel web sites aimed at youth. StudentUniverse is a fantastic resource that provides young people with heavily discounted plane tickets as long as riders are enrolled at least part time at a college. The European railway, Eurail, also offers student fares. A spring break tour of France and Italy is only $250.

If planning to leave the country for spring break, don’t forget about getting a passport. It takes four to six weeks to process the order, so make sure to plan ahead so you get your passport in time to start getting those fancy stamps. Passports cost $97 unless travelers procrastinate. Expedited orders can jump to nearly double that price.

Then there is always the question of where to stay when we get to the exotic locations. Many of us might pony up for nice, or at least decent, hotels. However, youth hostels can be a very economically friendly and fun option. Read More »

There is no nice way to put this: it is f*#king freezing outside. And even though I am trying my hardest not to give into my yearly bout with depression, leaving the house is getting harder and harder to do.

And when I do force myself to venture out into the cruel, cold world – say, to go to work – it takes me a good half hour to warm up when I finally get back home.

I have tried everything in the book to get warm: thick socks, long underwear, hot tea. But none of it works. If you too are suffering with no relief from the bitter cold that settled in this past week, you may also be looking for alternative ways to keep warm this long and dreary winter.

And, trust me on this one, there really is only one way to do it: with the help of booze. Warm booze, that is.

Nothing warms you from the inside out quite like a hot cup of spiked cider. Or some old fashioned hot buttered rum.

Pair them with some gingerbread cookies (you can buy em at the store!) and old episodes of Sex and the City and you have yourself the perfect winter afternoon with the girls.

I get warm just thinking about it!

The recipes could not be easier. So stock up on these ingredients, throw on some wool socks and get ready for a warm and cozy winter.

Spiked Hot Apple Cider:
6 to 8 oz apple cider or juice
1 oz dark rum (2 tablespoons)

Heat the cider until it boils. Pour into a cup, add rum. Garnish with sliced apple or a cinnamon stick. Sip, warm up and enjoy! Read More »

Days as a Freshman: 95
Mood: Stuffed

“So…” I clicked the old flashlight onto a brighter option and pulled my hat farther down onto my face. “How was Thanksgiving at your aunt’s?”

Even though I had secretly wished he had forgotten, Daniel B. had arrived at my house a few minutes after 7 on Thanksgiving night, a giant blue coat around his skinny frame and a round plate covered in tinfoil in his hands. I had prepared my parents and my two sets of aunts and uncles for his possible arrival, but as soon as I saw his twitching face behind our glass door, I knew all the preparation in the world couldn’t save this night from becoming extremely awkward.

After an hour of good-natured attempts at questions around our large wooden table, I had suggested Daniel B. and I take my old dog Spud out for a walk. My dad’s bushy white eyebrows went up at that suggestion, and I did my best to shoot him a “don’t get any stupid ideas” look.

Usually, you invite a guy to take a walk at night because you want to make things romantic. This invitation had nothing to do with romance, and everything to do with alleviating some of the unwieldy tension in the air.

Once we were outside, our boots crunching against a tiny layer of snow that had fallen on the quiet street, my body started to relax and I could breathe normally again. I mean, I loved my parents, but my mom and dad were both older, around 65, and often didn’t comprehend me as well as I wanted them to. I don’t think they understood that I had I invited Daniel B. over out of politeness. I think they actually thought I liked him. Read More »

The world is ending, I’m convinced. This weather is absolutely insane and I, for one, can no longer just wing-it and not check weather.com before getting dressed in the morning.

I’ve been finding myself being utterly unprepared for whatever temperature or different act of nature that seems to occur on a freaking DAILY BASIS.

So basically I went on the prowl for (cute) spring rain-gear that might make getting up early and getting dressed just a little more fun (but not really) and lo-and-behold I found everything I wanted at the beloved Target.

The Umbrella – You have two choices here. Option one, you can use a small, indiscrete umbrella that fits into your bag andshort, patent leather version you can pop out at a moments notice or option two, you can use something like this clear, bubble version.

If you choose the latter, you’re basically securing that your hair will not touch water at any point in time and if a typhoon suddenly occurs, you were the only prepared one.

Read More »