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Spring break is the time to kick back, relax, and forget about the stresses of class for a while. It is also the time to hang out with friends and have some fun.

Spring break doesn’t have to involve a trip to an exotic location to be fun, but it helps.

University of Denver students have traveled all over the world. DU student Jon Hedlund’s favorite spring break was his trip to France in 2001.

With a group of friends from high school, Hedlund traveled to Provence on a 10-day trip. They went to do construction on a camp set up to help inner-city children get back into nature.

The organization was run by volunteers and is non-profit, so needed all the help it could get. Hedlund and his friends enjoyed doing the construction, both because they knew they were helping people, and because they got to enjoy and explore the French countryside.

According to Hedlund, one of the best experiences was a camping trip that he went on with the other volunteers. They stayed on a cliff, which overlooked the Mediterranean Sea.

“It was windy, though,” he said. “So we had to sleep in this little gully.”

While this trip was not cheap, it was a wonderful experience, Hedlund said. It was not the first time he had gone and, according to him, will not be the last.

Spending spring break closer to home can be a wonderful experience, as well. Another DU student, Lesley Beckmann, spent her favorite spring break at Disneyland in California.

It was in 1995, and she spent a week there, with her. Besides enjoying the attractions at Disneyland, she also took in the fun at Knotts Berry Farm. She said she had a lot of fun spending time with her sisters, particularly “being crazy in the hotel room.”

She has returned to Disneyland since, and hopes to again. While this is again not a cheap vacation, it is fun for people of all ages, she said.

Anyone who misses their younger siblings or wants to re-live their childhood for a while might enjoy a trip to Disneyland.

Those of us who don’t have enough money to take trips can even enjoy spring break.

Trying to get in contact with old friends is a good first step. There are always things to do, such as movies, swimming, camping or just hanging out.

From watching the sun set on the Mediterranean sea to watching a movie at home with friends, spring break can be a great time for anyone. Though it is only a week, it should be used as to gather the body and mind, and spring into the next quarter.