Ok, so it hasn’t been that rough of a winter in NYC. In fact, there’s not even any snow on the ground currently. But don’t let any of the aforementioned fool you. That hasn’t stopped me from dreaming of a tropical vacation.Warm sun, sandy beach, comfy lounge chair and a cold drink? Um…yes, please, sign me up!

Check out some of the warmer places I’d love to jet away to right now.

Instead of freezing over the holidays, it looks like most celebs opted for tropical vacations. Luckily for us, every single one of them decided to take a ride on a jet ski. From those who looked like they were born to ride the waves, to some others who seemed more than awkward in their puffy life jackets, this is one of those galleries you never knew you wanted to see…but you totally do.

Click through for some photos of celebrities living it up on the water.

After becoming a flight attendant, I’ve learned a little bit of something about spontaneous adventure.  In one week, I spent half a day in Jamaica (bought Roasted Ground coffee and coconut rum candies), I explored nearly every edge of New York City (found a killer pizza parlor, took mock pictures at Tiffany’s and ate cookies from Bouchon Bakery) and I sunbathed next to a clear pool in Florida while sending Twit-Pics of the palm tree-clad view.

I’ve learned a lot about myself through all of this exploring. I’ve learned that I love not knowing what I’m going to be doing next week. I’ve learned that I love taking photos of new things at different angles and color schemes. I’ve learned that I love hotel beds and being alone for at least an hour a day. I’ve learned that I will ask for help if I need it. Or directions.

That being said, adventure brews learning opportunities. Duh, pretty standard and obvious statement of the decade right? Wrong.  I bet you’re thinking; “Well, you travel for your JOB. It’s easy to explore and learn more about yourself!”

But it’s easy for everyone to learn through casual experimentation. I am willing to believe it’s the best way to understand who you are and what you want in life.  Exploring can go as far as trying out a new restaurant or walking a different sidewalk down the street to work. Exploring is going a little bit out of your comfort zone to discover something new. And in turn, you will learn more about yourself. What a win-win! Explore new food groups, new bands, new bars, new friends. New adventures are right at your finger tips — it just takes that extra boost to get there (or will require putting shoes on or taking a shower beforehand).

Trying new things creates brand new stories for you to tell. Spontaneous adventures (even if you just spending a Sunday baking when you never have before) build your character and give you depth. I think of it like stretching out a plastic bag. The more experience you shove in, the longer it stretches and the more experiences you can fit inside. Obviously this bag would never break.

I’m the biggest homebody in the human race. If it was up to me, I would sit at home all day and drink hot lemon water and write in my diary. But after getting out more, seeing the world a different way and documenting every moment…I feel refreshed. Every time I try something new, I feel like a re-charged battery. And there’s nothin’ better than that.

[Hey everybody! Sarabeth here with a new feature that, quite frankly, I'm stoked about. Each week I'll be bringing you an album that I feel is particularly awesome in the hopes of building iTunes libraries everywhere! It could be something new, old, hugely popular or fairly unknown, so keep checking back for our suggestions to awesome-ify your music collection.]

Sigh…my and everyone else’s winter breaks are very quickly coming to an end. And while I may currently be spending time at home with the fam, I will soon return to my friends and there needs to be some serious drinking action. Not only do I want to mourn the end of my last semester break of college, but to also drink away this past week with my entire family under the same roof for the first time in a year. For this last weekend of break, I highly recommend AWOLNATION’s debut EP, Back From Earth.

About the Band:

AWOLNATION is the new solo project of Aaron Bruno of Under The Influence Of Giants and Home Town Hero. The name AWOLNATION comes from his nickname Awol, which he’s had since high school.

Top 3 Tracks:

Sail

Dirty Filty Soul

Burn It Down

Why You Should Listen to It:

Although only being 5 tracks, Back From Earth delivers– and each track for it’s own reason. Burn It Down and its remix are great for when you’ve had a bad day and just want to party to forget about it. Dirty Filthy Soul is bluesy/funky while being catchy as heck. This might be TMI, but Sail makes me want to grab a drink and a guy. MF rounds out the bunch with a bad ass vibe. This is the perfect album for a weekend of debauchery to prepare you for spring semester

Bonjour, mon amis!

Sorry, couldn’t help it. I’ve just taken up French and I’m getting so obsessed! The language is so gorgeous (especially when it’s coming from the lips of a sexy Parisian man) and a nice change from Spanish, which I’ve studied all my life. Plus, every French class I sit through takes me back to my days in Paris this past summer. I loved everything about it: the food, the people, the fashion, the scenery.

Well, everything except for all the smoking. It seemed like everywhere I went there was a cloud of smoke around me. Call me crazy (a lot of people do), but all that smoke just made me super paranoid. I couldn’t shake the vision of my lungs getting just a little bit blacker and my skin getting clogged with wrinkle-causing smoke particles. Not that I know if smoke particles exist, but my imagination usually doesn’t adhere to scientific fact, so whatev.

This made me imagine what it would be like to actually be a smoker, which led me to wondering:

Would You Rather be forced to pick up an unhealthy habit you hate (smoking, eating fast food for every meal, etc.) OR give up your absolute favorite activity?

Things to Consider: Disease, feeling gross, not getting to watch Jersey Shore anymore (hey, don’t judge).

Think about it. Think about it some more. Vote. Then tell everyone why below.

Ah, summer. The temperatures rise, the air thickens, our tans darken (unless you work in an office like me), and we go back to the old friends from home that we haven’t spent much time with in the past year. But among the mass of people you used to see all the time in high school, there are six different types of people that you will never see over your long summer vacation at home.

The Facebooker (or The Texter): She writes on your wall. She texts you. Every. Week. “OMG, when am I seeing you??” “What are you doing tonight? Can we make plans?!” She’s always in contact with you, but when you actually want to make plans, she’s vague and flaky. There’s always a conflict in your schedules, and she can never hang out even though she’s all up on your Facebook, sending you notifications like there’s no tomorrow and keeping the red light on your BlackBerry constantly flashing. Get it together, girl — do you want to hang out with me or not?!

The In-Class Friend: You were great friends in AP English, and AP biology, and AP calculus. She was that one cool girl you found amongst the nerds in your classes, and she helped you get through every last one. You got along really well, and you genuinely liked each other. You’d share notes, study together, laugh at your teacher’s ridiculous outfits, and share hilarious weekend stories on Monday morning. But that’s it. Once that bell rang every day, you didn’t really talk much. You’d actually like to hang out with her and catch up, but you’re in completely different circles of friends, haven’t texted her since your group project senior year, and basically lost touch in college, so it just never happens. But you can’t help wondering what she’s up to…

The Girl Who’s Always Working: She’s a bit of an over-achiever. She’s got an internship in the city, two weekend jobs, and a babysitting job at night. This girl is literally NEVER available; she’s either working or too exhausted to hang out. She wants to hang out with you, but she barely has time to breathe, let alone text you. She’s concentrating on building her resume and fattening her wallet this summer instead of soaking up the rays by the pool. You don’t really like it, but you can’t help but respect her for being in an office at 10AM on a Monday instead of sleepily rolling out of bed to go downstairs to eat last night’s leftover sesame noodles for breakfast. Not that any of us do that. Ever.

The Hideaway: This girl is legit MIA. You see her once in awhile, and then she just completely disappears. She’s never on Facebook, doesn’t answer her phone, and never contacts you. You often wonder if she is still alive. You have no idea what she’s up to this summer, except for that she’s taken it upon herself to completely isolate herself from the world. And the worst part is, she’s actually a fun friend who would bring something to the group. But she doesn’t. Because she’s nowhere to be found.

The Girl Who Got a Boyfriend at College: This girl was THE BEST – until she got a boyfriend. She was  that one friend who was always up for a froyo date, a spin class, or a kegger. But now she’s with him – ALL the time. She’s always planning her next visit to see him or going to the zoo with him or going to the beach with him or going back to school with him or video chatting with him or posting pictures on Facebook of the two of them in sepia Apple Photo Booth pictures. She used to be awesome, but now she’s got her boy whipped and is psyched about it. She’s never around, and even when you do see her on an extremely rare occasion (a.k.a. when her boyfriend has a funeral or a doctor’s appointment), she’s preoccupied with texting him, or doesn’t shut up about how amazing he is and how much she misses him. She views your single life as a phase she’s totes over (“I’m just so not into the whole random hookup thing anymore”), and makes you feel bad for not feeling the same way.

The Annoying One You Choose Not to See: The day you graduated, you bade this girl fare-freakin’-well and never looked back. She followed you around in high school and was obsessed with you and everything about you, but you never felt the same way about her. You politely invited her to things in high school because you felt bad, but as soon as you went to college, you knew you never would have to hang out with her again. She’s essentially “the friend nobody likes.” Now she won’t leave you alone, and you can’t stand it. You hate being a jerk, but you constantly have to blow her off by passing yourself as any of the girls above.

Ah, summer. There’s something about this time of year that brings back memories of the beach, county fairs, baseball, and, of course, family vacations.  Although at times, my family drove me crazy on those trips and I’d much rather have been anywhere else than with them, there are still tons of great memories of all those long drives to see relatives, camping trips, and visits to amusement parks that filled my summer vacations growing up.

So in honor of both summer (which officially starts next Monday) and Father’s Day this Sunday, I give you: Dads on Vacation.

Dads on Vacation is a hilarious Tumblr blog that features (you guessed it) photos of readers’ dads on vacation.  The concept is just as brilliant as it is simple, and you won’t be able to help smiling when you get a look at all the pictures.  There’s plenty of examples of classic “Dad style” that makes me nostalgic for my own dad’s vacation outfits: the high white socks with either sneakers or sandals, short shorts, the wide-brimmed straw hat, canteen strapped around the waist for hikes, and the inevitable Hawaiian-print shirt for more “dressy” occasions.

Do yourself a favor and check out Dads on Vacation–not only will it make you smile, but it’s also a great way to celebrate both Father’s Day and Summer!

I don’t know about you guys, but I feel like the longer our relationship goes on, the greater the pressure there is to give him a seriously kick ass gift. Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s “the thought that counts” and yes, David would be equally happy with an iPod or a 3 day cruise (speaking from experience…unless he was just faking his excitement to make me feel better). I just love the process of finding the perfect gift for my perfect boyfriend. (I feel the same way about gift giving in general. It takes me a solid 2 months to Christmas shop.) And after 2 and a half years, I’ve built a pretty impressive record for gift giving.

Of course there are the times when I get it totally wrong (I thought getting him a sex toy for graduation was both hilarious and practical- he did not agree), and those are the gifts that haunt my memory while I try to find his 23^rd birthday present.

It can be hard shopping for your boyfriend. You know him so well, you should be able to spot from a mile away the thing or experience he’d love most. But, unfortunately it’s not always that easy. So whether you’ve got a boyfriend with a summer birthday, your anniversary is coming up, or you just want to surprise him with a little something, I’ve compiled a go-to boyfriend gift guide. Happy shopping!

Hobby Gifts

Does your man have a passion or pastime that he absolutely loves? What about getting him an upscale accessory? David is chess obsessed, so I’ve been trolling the internets to find a nice chess set for him. Does your boyfriend love poker? Check out this Texas Hold ‘Em chip set with a table (and it’s only $99!) For bonus points, tell him to invite the boys over for a poker night, complete with man-food and his favorite beer provided by you.

Dating an athlete?

Well, even if you’re not, chances are the guy you’re dating loves a certain sport (or all of them). If he’s baseball obsessed check out this cool score ticker. David’s been obsessed with it since he saw it at the mall, so it’s definitely on my list of possibilities for him. If your man is more the kind of guy who likes to get in on the action, think about signing him up for a sports league. Depending on where you live and what sport you register him for, prices range from around $50- $75 for seasons that last for a few months. A lot of leagues have happy hour specials and post-game sponsor bars with drink specials included in the registration fee.

Road Trip!

Take advantage of summer time, gas up your tank and pack him a weekend bag without him noticing. Tell him you guys have to go run errands, and hit the open road. Blind folds are optional (and awesome) and so is telling him where you’re headed. Check out what deals are around where you’re living. Hit an amusement park for the weekend (The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is calling my name), see if you can rent a beachfront condo (or better yet, ask a friend or relative if you can stay there for two nights), check out last minute hotel deals near the beach. Even if you stay in or near your hometown, staying in a sweet hotel will make it feel like a vacay. And the weather is gorgeous (but the mosquitoes haven’t noticed yet) so why not go camping for the weekend? Use your imagination and get excited to totally sweep your boyfriend off his feet.

If all else fails…turn to video games.

No matter how old he’s turning, he probably still loves video games. Here are the hottest video games out right now, ranked by sales. Just make sure you get a game that’s compatible with his system, and when in doubt, call his best friend to ask what they’ve been playing lately.

What’s the next gift you’re thinking of giving your boyfriend? Do you have a tried and true method for picking the perfect present? If so, let’s hear it!

And the fact that I’m not going this year?  I’m not a very good actor, but I could almost pinch out a few legitimate tears.  You mean I have to continue to struggle up mini-snow mountain regions, and continue to suffocate under the restraints of my wool scarf?

Clearly, there are plenty of reasons for me to be bitter about my lack o’ travels this Spring Break but, I am deciding to look the bright side for a change. Sweating poolside under the shade of an US Weekly magazine or not, I’m going to make the best out of my Spring Break, and  – turns out – it is easier than I thought because you can:

1. Finally catch up on all of those books you’ve been reading (or not reading).

College is so stressful, sometimes I find myself being stressed out about the weekly T.V. shows I am trying to catch up on.  It is time to sit down and freakin’ relax. I know I have about five books I’m currently trying to read at the same time, and nothing strains my stress greater than a quality read. So kick those feet back, flip on the fireplace switch, and get reading.

2. Think of all the moo-lah you are saving!? You can spend a (small) portion on a facial. Why not?

Deciding (or being forced against your will) to not attend Spring Break just made you ten times richer.  Don’t get me wrong, in the midst of running to class and cursing the cold-I would give my left leg to catch a flight to Margaritaville.  But on the other hand, you have a lot more breathing room when it comes to the dough. Go spend a little bit of it on a facial, or for the construction of a new iTunes playlist (whatever it may be).

3. Use this extra time to get a step ahead of applying for jobs/internships.

With everything going on during class, your social life, and trying to maintain a close relationship with Mr. Treadmill, it is super difficult to navigate a time to apply for jobs and internships during the school year.  Spring Break is the perfect time to stick your nose in front of the pack and apply, apply, apply for jobs and internships.  Use this time to do some extra research on jobs, networking with experts in your field of study, and editing your LinkedIn profile. It may not be as fun as a keg stand via pool side, but the benefits are way up their on the ‘success scale.’

4. Get involved with some volunteer work during your free time.

This is a great and feel-good way to spend your Spring Break.  Not only are you keeping  yourself occupied, but you are giving back to your community. Try calling a local non-profit organization or even a museum, to see if they need volunteer help.

5. Re-acquaint yourself with your favorite letter of the alphabet: ZzzZZz.

I don’t know about you, but I love a good nights 13-hour siesta every once in a while.  Sleeping keeps you from getting raunchy colds, helps you lose weight, and most importantly, feels totally awesome!  So while everyone else is getting three-hour-drunk-sleep in Mexico and waking up with a monstrous hangover, you are nursing the bags under your eyes you’ve accumulated from midterms. Win.

6. You can explore what your home town has to offer. By yourself.

Even if none of your friends are around, don’t be afraid to go explore a new restaurant on your own, or a nearby museum. Really, when do you ever get the chance to do these things unless you are retired? And have you ever gone to a movie by yourself? Take it from me, it is amazing.  Nobody is awkwardly reaching into the popcorn bowl the same time as you are, you can keep your movie preview commentary all to yourself, and you can shamelessly go to the lame guilty pleasure movie you’ve been wanting to see forever (Dear John anyone)?

7. Call one of your old high school friends.

Now, even I haven’t done this in a while-which is mildly depressing.  But something deep down inside of me, really really wants to.  And there is never a better time than the present!  There are bound to be a few friends home for Spring Break, and I’m willing to bet it is refreshing to talk over coffee with the people who stood next to you when you hit your 5-year long awkward stage in middle school. Now that is something you guys can talk about.

8. Learn how to cook.

If you’ve gotten a chance to watch the movie ‘Julie & Julia’ this idea will really tickle your fancy. If you’re at home, Mom is sure to have some serious cookbooks sitting around, and if not, Google up a storm for some awesome recipes for whatever you are craving at the moment, and get cooking!  And they don’t have to be food recipes, either; learn how to make a few tasty cocktails for when everyone returns.  If anything, when your roommates return from vaca, they will probably adore you for your (feeble attempt) at out-cooking Rachel Ray.

9. Watch an entire television series (just because you can).

Now, this is something I’ve been wanting to do for ages now, specifically with the three seasons of MadMen. So I am sure everyone has a television sitcom they want to get their hands on (and finished) in one week.  So why not take the time to tackle your utmost guilty pleasure via television and get watching!

10. Spend some quality time with family.

Nothing is better than sprawling out on your couch at home and having one of those totally crazy conversations with your family.  Did Dad really just say that out loud? Your family never gets to see you when you are away at college, and this is the perfect time to relax at home prove to them how much you’ve missed them (and the scene in their refrigerator).

But while some are checking their luggage and loading on the sunscreen, more than half of college students will actually be sticking around for break. Maybe it’s the struggling economy, perhaps it’s a pair of hostile and nervous parents; whatever the reason and no matter your longitude and latitude, Spring Break is an annual week that should be soaked up by all. Yes, even in your teeny, tiny dormroom.

1)      Take time off: OK, so maybe your surroundings are missing a few palm trees and a couple thousand college students running wild but the point of Spring Break is to do just that: break. Close the text books, put away the planner and relax for the week. You will certainly need the relaxation after the midterms you have just endured and to plow you through the upcoming weeks leading up to finals.

2)      Be the biggest loser: Though you might feel like the big loser for not buying a boarding pass and a new bikini, I don’t mean it literally. Make like the contestants on The Biggest Loser and use the week to get on track with fitness. Maybe studying has veered you off the path towards that summer bod. Well then, use the week to get outdoors, pump iron at the gym (which will be nice and empty for a change!) and get back on track. Delight in the idea of saving yourself from all the calories that would love to take a vacation on your body, in the form of several margaritas and a plate full of nachos by the pool, and do yourself some good.

3)      Become a college connoisseur: The beauty of Spring Break is the fact that colleges break at all different times. See this week as an opportunity to visit friends from other schools. Take to the pull-out couch of some of your closest buds at other schools and appreciate the seven days you have to bridge the distance that school can put between some friendships.

4)      Finish your sentences (without any slurring): Spring break is a great excuse to tie up loose ends. Throughout the semester we rack up a long to-do list but don’t always find ample time to tackle it. Take the week to finish what you started – that book you got halfway through, your closet that you meant to clean out, a list of friends you have meant to catch up with.

5)      Think outside the bar: So you have your traditional hot spots that you hit up every Monday Thursday through Saturday.  And while it is hard to stray away from ritual during the semester, there is so much to do outside of these typical destinations. Hit up a new part of town, see what the “off-campus” area has to offer. You may just thank yourself for stepping away from the usual Friday night activities and finding a new hot spot to hit up when school is back in session.

6)      Treat yourself: You saved a ton of green ones by not charging the all-inclusive stay at the five-star hotel to your credit card. Isn’t it safe to say that you can splurge a little and treat yourself? A day at the spa, a shopping trip, tickets to see a good sports game. Not heading out of the country for Spring Break is not meant to be a torturous sentence;  give yourself the break you deserve and bask in the fact that you are spending 1/27 of what your classmates have in order to do so.

7)      Embrace the solitude: It’s hard to get any alone time when school is in session, so take advantage of having your room and your campus to yourself. Sleep late; do a power cleaning; watch what you want, when you want, without any distractions. Sure, one can be the loneliest number, but it can also be quite pleasant when you haven’t experienced it in awhile.