If you’ve got today off from class, then good for you.  I’m glad you’re taking this opportunity to watch reality TV marathons and binge eat 100 Calorie Packs.  There’s no shame in that.  But next time you’ve got an extended weekend, perhaps you should round up your besties and hit the road.

Austin is oh-so trendy (in a good way) and boasts delicious culinary treats.  How can you say no to a making s’mores right in a restaurant?  Hit up Boston if you’re in the Northeast.  From potential celeb sightings to swank clubs, Beantown’s got it all.  If you’re feeling stuck in the Midwest, head to Minneapolis to take in some cosmopolitan activities.  And Savannah is great for all you Southern students.  Steeped in history and boasting the most attractive locals this side of the Mississippi, it is not to be missed.

Or maybe you want to take your long weekend in another country?  Toronto could be the city for you.  Oh, and the legal drinking age is 19…bonus!

Fall semester is in full swing and it’s starting to feel like you’re doing the same thing every week. Class. Study. Drink. Hangover. Poor Theme Party Costume Choice. Homework. Switch things up by taking advantage of a long weekend or your fall break (if you’re that lucky) by checking out our Weekend Getaway guides.   We’ve already covered Boston, Toronto , Austin and Savannah. Now, let’s hit up the midwest!

In a non-resident biased opinion, the city of Minneapolis is a diamond in the rough of cornfields and lots of suburbs we know as Minnes-ooooah-ta (yes, the accent exists). But contrary to popular belief, not everyone eats lutefisk and lefsa for dinner and it is only a desolate tundra for four months of the year.

In reality, Minneapolis is a rich destination filled with over 10,000 lakes, 22 regional trails, 330 metro parks, rich cultural amenities, 90,000 miles of shoreline (that’s more than California and Hawaii combined), world-inspired fare and fabulous boutiques.

Why is Minneapolis a perfect destination for fall break? Besides the beautiful assessment of changing leaves, farm-fresh ingredients and no sales tax on any apparel, Minneapolis is a rich city for creative force, entertainment and trendy shops and bars.  Oh, and we have hot dudes on our baseball team like this. Meow.

So tighten up your overalls and let’s start exploring. OK, I’m kidding. Keep your jeggings on and let’s play.

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Fall semester is in full swing and it’s starting to feel like you’re doing the same thing every week. Class. Study. Drink. Hangover. Poor Theme Party Costume Choice. Homework. Switch things up by taking advantage of a long weekend or your fall break (if you’re that lucky) by checking out our Weekend Getaway guides.   We’ve already covered Boston, Toronto and Austin. Now, we wanna take you on a road less traveled (unless you’re Paula Deen)…to Savannah, Georgia.

To the young, curious child version of myself, Savannah, Georgia was synonymous with Girl Scouts —the scratchy uniform I hated, the vest that always seemed to have less badges than the rest of the other Brownie Scouts, and, of course, Girl Scout Cookies! Yum, I love those things!

However, that’s only one part of Savannah. Yes, Girl Scouts of America was founded there by Juliette Gordon Low and I’m sure visiting brings back many fond memories to the to former Girl Scout tourists.  But, Savannah is filled with centuries of history, charm, and even some ghosts! If you’re looking to get out of the hustle and bustle of your college campus for a long weekend, head down to the ol’ South and check out quaint Savannah, Georgia!

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Fall semester is in full swing and it’s starting to feel like you’re doing the same thing every week. Class. Study. Drink. Hangover. Poor Theme Party Costume Choice. Homework. Switch things up by taking advantage of a long weekend or your fall break (if you’re that lucky) by checking out our Weekend Getaway guides.   We’ve already covered Boston and Toronto. Today we’re celebrating Austin.

Austin is somewhere I’m glad to call my home. It’s a city that’s big enough to be exciting, but at the same time small enough to be super friendly. There is always something to do here, making it an optimal destination for Fall Break or a long weekend away from campus.

Why, you ask?

Well for starters, if music is your thing, Austin is definitely the place to be. We didn’t earn the name “Live Music Capital of the World” for nothing. Secondly, we’re far enough south that “Fall” to the rest of the country still feels like summer. Have a cute swimsuit you got at an end of season sale? Bust it out here! Thirdly, the University of Texas, Austin’s major university accounting for 50,000 students, doesn’t have a fall break, so that means NO CROWDS! And, really, Austin is just all around fun. I mean, the slogan for the plethora of funky locally owned business is “Keep Austin Weird!”

If that doesn’t entice you, perhaps this will:

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Fall semester is in full swing and it’s starting to feel like you’re doing the same thing every week. Class. Study. Drink. Hangover. Poor Theme Party Costume Choice. Homework. Switch things up by taking advantage of a long weekend or your fall break (if you’re that lucky) by checking out our Weekend Getaway guides. You’ve already got a guide to Boston.  Today we’re celebrating Toronto.

For our readers in Eastern Canada, or even in the Northeastern states, Toronto is definitely a city you should consider checking out for a long weekend.  There is a lot to do in the city, and with everything in the downtown close together, you can see a lot in just a few days!  Plus, if you’re coming up across the border, the drinking age is only 19 so you, too, can get a taste of the stellar nightlife.

But beyond that, Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world – you could easily eat or shop your way around the world in only a few hours. It’s also a hub for art, shows, and fashion so there’s something here for everyone. And your money goes a wee bit further than it would in the U.S.A.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your passport and come to Canada! Read More »

So that time of year is creeping up on us. The time when we must throw some clothes into duffel, fill the rest of the bag with dirty laundry, kiss our roommate and our bottle of vodka goodbye, and head home for fall break.

Yes, there are many up-sides to this little trip: we get a break from all the homework, we get to eat something other then cafeteria mystery meat for a change, and we get to curl up with Scruffy on the couch for a couple of days.

But with the comfort of being home comes a few downers as well. And I’m not talking about being woken up at 9am on a Saturday or having to empty the dishwasher. It’s those little comments from mom and dad that really get under your skin. And no matter how hard you try to be nice, you just can’t help but snap, say something mean and beeline to the car/airport (clean clothes and leftovers in hand, obvi) as soon as humanly possible.

Here are a few of the worst offenders:

“Honey, your pants look a little tight”
Yes mom, I realize that drinking 5 days out of the week and eating delivery pizza has done a number on my waistline. Am I happy about it? No. Do I know it is there? Yes. Is it helping that you pinch the muffin top and poke the underarm flab? Absolutely not!

“Have you found a nice boy yet?”
If by “nice” you mean “a tall pre-med student who considers hanging out in the library fun,” then no, dad, I have not found your ideal son-in-law quite yet. But I have hooked up with a couple of the guys on the football team who can barely form coherent sentences but have 8-pack stomachs you can bounce a quarter off of, if that counts for anything. Read More »

I was home for Fall Break for four days, and I realized that maybe adapting to college was easier than I expected. When I entered my house Friday night, I didn’t see a place where I had numerous study sessions, birthday parties and mental health days. I saw a place to do laundry for free, watch some mindless television and sleep for awhile.

Sure, it was nice to be home. But I kept feeling like I had to go back to school, like this was more of a temporary sleepover than a homecoming. While the weekend kept me busy from noticing that my house was not exactly home, it also uncovered a new strangeness which college created—meeting up with high school friends.

Most of my high school friends, all of whom I have known for years, go to college within two hours of my hometown. So when a few of us come home for the weekend, we all come home for the weekend. And while I loved being around people who never need an explanation for my random songs or not-funny jokes, it was also startling to see how just a few months have changed us.

I left my friends for the entire summer, and I noticed little change when I came back. But now my friends are not just sitting around their houses or working at the local Dunkin’ Donuts; they’re making friends, testing their boundaries and (some of them) are becoming people who I never would have talked to in high school. When it’s just the few of us watching a movie or walking around town, I can’t entirely ignore the college sweatshirts, new belly-button rings and anecdotes starring new best friends. I can’t pretend that this is last June, when we all just graduated and were ready for something new. Read More »