On Spring Break, however, once you get off the plane at your final destination, you’re in it for the long haul. Though you anticipate your vacay being the highlight of the semester, it can be grueling to go all day, every day, and, being far from home, there’s a lot that can go wrong. Nothing is suckier than getting sick in a foreign place, fighting with your tripmates, or getting into a sticky situation in an unfamiliar place. Make sure you make it back to school in one piece this spring, by taking a few simple precautions.

1. Do your research.

Get some maps, or travel guides with tips, before you leave. Ask people you trust if they can recommend a good hotel. Try to brush up on the local rules or laws of the place you’re headed. The last thing you want to do is get lost, check into a lodging that is reminiscent of hostel, or get in trouble for something you didn’t even think was wrong.

2. Pack wisely.

Flip flops might be a necessity, but what about when you take a day trip that requires walking around all day to take in the sights? Pack a comfortable pair of shoes just in case that long night of clubbing wore out your feet. And even if you think you’re going somewhere tropical and plan to be in a bathing suit all day, it can’t hurt to throw a sweater in your suitcase for when the temperature drops after dark.

3. Give yourself a budget.

Say, “I’m going to spend X dollars a day,” or, “I have this much to spend all week. I should plan to spend 20% on food, 10% on travel, 30% on shopping and excursions, and 20% on nightlife.” Note that these percentages don’t make up 100%. You’ll want some emergency cash in case of a day of indulgence, or to make sure you have enough left to get home at the end of the week. Even if you don’t stick to your budget, you’ll be a lot closer than if you just went on a free-spirited spending spree.

4. Don’t rely on cell phones.

You don’t know where you’ll hit a dead zone, or a high-frequency area that won’t let your calls through. Plus, chances are, once you leave for the day, you’re gone. So what happens if your phone dies? Or if you thought your phone would work overseas, and it suddenly doesn’t. If you and your friends are splitting up into groups, establish a set time and meeting spot, just to make sure you don’t miss each other. Meet up a couple times a day to reevaluate the plan, or say you’ll all get dinner at six and then decide the night’s course of action.

5. Lather up!

Okay, I’m going to backtrack all the way to high school, even though we’re all in college now. It was my senior class trip to Florida, a week before prom. I’m so white I could be considered “Clear” before “Caucasian,” so I reapplied the sunblock like my life depended on it. When we got back to school, I remember one girl’s legs were so burned that they were fire engine red and swollen like tree trunks. And I was the only girl without ridiculous tan lines at the prom.  Shiseido makes a great sunscreen that leaves your skin feeling smooth, not leathery.

6. Stay. In. Groups.

Seriously, not to be your mom or anything, and we’re all grown up enough to know the buddy system is safer than the… stumbling through the streets alone system. Besides, isn’t the point on a high-priced vacation to spend some QT with your faves?

7. Have fun!

Don’t stress about your daily itinerary down to the minute. Don’t freak out if a stranger says “Hello.” Don’t argue with your friends about whether to hit the beach or lounge by the hotel pool. Come one, it’s only seven short days. Enjoy it. You deserve it!

Any other tips? Share them below!

My days often look something like this: Wake up and write as much as I can from the notes I took the previous day. (Morning is the only time my mind is fresh). Head out around noon and do some research — visit hotels, eat at restaurants, and participate in some activity that I can write about. Come back to my dorm room in the evening and jot down notes from my day. Go to bed.

Rarely do I go out, rarely do I feel like this is an authentic vacation. This is a job, just like my previous job as a high school English teacher. This is my new profession — one that doesn’t even pay for itself right now. I remain hopeful that it will one day.

Travel writing is not a glamorous job, as Thomas Kohnstamm, a Lonely Planet writer, explains in his new book, Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? Kohnstamm goes so far to detail his life as a travel writer that he admits he wasn’t paid enough (tell me about it!) to go to Colombia, so he never went and just wrote the book in California. For another assignment in Brazil, he sold drugs to supplement his income.

Unlike Kohnstamm, my moral values are in place and, though I kick myself for being a hedonistic and poor writer on the road, I wouldn’t trade this lifestyle for a minute. However, despite his immoral approach to travel writing, Kohnstamm still provides a golden nugget of truth: Travel writing is a career and individuals committed to this profession deserve greater benefits.

There is an inherent problem with the travel writing industry. Graduates fresh out of college delay their entry into the real world by snatching up jobs I want. I want travel writing to be my life, but for these youngsters it’s just a stint — something they can say they did before they settled down. And they are willing to do this same job for pennies. Travel guides like Lonely Planet keep payment low because they know someone write for their book if they can travel for free.

There is no solution to this problem. People like myself who come into the profession later in life have to start from the bottom wrung. Right now, it’s just a reality we have to live with.