<p>^ Sorry cheers. It just sounded, well, a little condescending or something, but I understand your point.</p>
<p>I don’t remember my D ever going anywhere for spring break
Spring break was a time to get caught up on laundry and sleep, and maybe get outside the bubble a little bit, go for a hike, see a show & get caught up on studies.</p>
<p>I don’t think Reed is a school, where kids feel like they can afford to take that much time away from their work.
Besides- spring break is awfully close to the end of the year, and Renn Fayre is coming! 
[Fire Dancing!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/sarako/sets/72057594121389557/”>http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/sarako/sets/72057594121389557/</a>)</p>
<p>Every spring break since my son was in middle school, he and H have trekked into the Grand Canyon during spring break. Sometimes its just the two of them, sometimes my D goes ,or they bring other friends. S suggested early this fall that they continue their tradition, so they’ll be taking a new route down to the bottom of the canyon and back.</p>
<p>D will be finishing her senior project while enjoying the California sunshine.
She has two fulll weeks to bask.</p>
<p>Since he is on the quarter system, S is going to the Bahamas over his quarter break. He goes to school in the midwest so a little sun will be good, and I too believe it is good to travel. They only get a week between quarters and no other break so it won’t be a long trip. Given that it is a quarter break, it does not coincide with many other school’s spring break so the crowds and the cost will be a little less. He went to Hawaii last year with a friend. He pays for it, and he is 20, so as long as school is going well (which is what I pay for), so be it. What is nice, is that even though the break is short, he comes home to spend 4 of the 9 days off (counting weekends) with the family.</p>
<p>FWIW, just because it’s a ski trip (I’m assuming sponsored by a club?) doesn’t mean it won’t turn into a wild party trip…I’ve been on a few. Hot tubbing nightly, crazy condo parties, if it’s out West there’ more than likely going to be a Hot Springs location nearby…sorry to be the spoiler but thought you’d like to know what could go down!</p>
<p>And if the club organizes the trip through a third party organization (Lifestylez is a big one for ski clubs) then they’ve probably arranged with other schools to also be at the same resort at the same week which only adds to the party atmosphere…we went to Steamboat Springs over winter break and schools represented were Iowa State, Iowa, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois, and I believe Northwestern. All bringing 275+ kids.</p>
<p>But on the other hand, there are also those people who are there truly for the skiing who are in the lift lines at 7:00 when they dont open till 8:00 and those there for the partying who dont get to the slopes until noon. I was one of the early risers because if I paid $400 to go, I’m not gonna blow it sleeping through the day!</p>
<p>yeah, I know ski trips can get crazy. This is not a club deal - just 4 guys who like to ski sharing a small condo at a mountain that’s in driving distance. Might be some other clubs going there - not sure. But it’s usually not a destination resort (I’ve never even heard of it) - and there’s no package deals with drinks and food. We’re not paying for it in ANY case - but the costs are not very high.<br>
I still think, in general, what you find on ski trips pales in comparison to what goes on in a typical all inclusive Cancun or Bahamas resort that caters to college students. Drinking age is 18. All drinks are included in the price - so kids get bombed starting early in the day. And if you get in trouble, good luck, cause you’re out of the country and local rules (some very bizzare and punitive) apply. We heard some nightmare stories - I don’t care to repeat them.
All in all, we would prefer it if our son came home and slept the whole week. But he has always preferred to stay busy! And, in the end, a break from all the studying he does can probably help him - just like vacations help over-worked adults (since he’s not coming home for the week, we’ve decided to go away too - why not?).</p>
<p>When my D was taking a year off and she was visiting Reed in Nov of 2000,I remember being drawn to the tv in the motel, my eyes bugging out
I didn’t usually even watch TV- let alone cable- and there was a local show about how many homeless kids were drawn to and living on the streets of Portland. THen I watched a big show about the “college breaks” and what * really* went on. It seemed like everything was designed to freak me out.</p>
<p>But- mygad- some schools have wild enough parties on the weekends- do they really need to push the bar that much farther by going to some island without a drinking age?</p>
<p>Some schools however, also are offering more local volunteer activities, recreation etc . Reed even has their own ski cabin on mt Hood- although I don’t know if D ever has used it.</p>
<p>I realize that it helps to be able to take a break- but to go anywhere that encourages underage drinking, I cant agree with at all.</p>
<p>We don’t pay a penny for spring break trips. That has limited our kids’ options as they have to front the bills themselves. DS…freshman year, came home. Soph year…Montreal to visit friends (took the bus). Jr year, three day ski trip (end of March, ski trips are a bargain). This year…school sponsored activity within major (free). DD…freshman…going to relatives for the break. No fancy trips…no money.</p>
<p>Spring break has been all over the map …literally. We’ll pay what it would’ve cost to come home, other expenses are their dime. Kids have done road trips primarily, though last spring S1 was supposed to go south of Cancun, but got really sick and had to come home instead. This year he and his roommates are going on a “last trip together” to San Diego and Baja before they graduate in June. S2 is going on a 5 day road trip to New Orleans and Memphis…again, all expenses are theirs except travel. I want to know where, when and with whom, but beyond that it’s their call as long as I don’t have to finance it. SO far, so good.</p>
<p>We somewhat discouraged the ‘gone wild’ stuff with both of our kids - out gal did some pretty awesome things on her spring breaks tho - gotta admit</p>
<p>freshman - off to the wilds of the everglades - in a kayak - lets see - $100 for that - vs $250 to come home…go kayaking girl</p>
<p>sophmore - a camping trip with friends - rock climbing - hiking - kayaking - lots of fun stuff</p>
<p>junior - second trip to NOLA with friends - to work!! I can just picture her in that hazmat suit she had to wear</p>
<p>senior - on an internship to an awesome place out west - no real spring break this year - but enjoying herself anyways LOL</p>
<p>My boys have so many friends here at home they are still anxious to come home during Spring break. I don’t know about the future as they are fresh and soph now. I’m so relieved these last two enjoy their home turf.</p>
<p>While we all have angels.</p>
<p>Anywhere they go…</p>
<ol>
<li>Don’t do anything Stupid.</li>
<li>If you’re arrested, your on your own. Figure out your own bail. </li>
</ol>
<p>If a kid wants to they can get into trouble anywhere, basic groundrules apply everyday.</p>
<p>My older child did not go on major spring break trips, and my younger one hasn’t until this year, when she has chosen to go skiing with a group of friends (in the US, not overseas). I had previously told her that the only place I would absolutely veto/advise against was Aruba (which she had no interst in anyway), because of the handling of Natalie Holloway’s disappearance–really an issue of a place gone wild as much as kids gone wild. </p>
<p>I suspect even the best kids’ judgments can go astray somewhat on spring break trips and I hope that at least being in a fairly orderly place with familiar rules/language/culture will help. I also hope that being with boys she knows will to some extent protect her from predatory strangers. Better the devil you know…?</p>
<p>Tell 'em they can have all the drugs, drinking, and sex they want at home, and save the big bucks for med school. ;)</p>
<p>“Tell 'em they can have all the drugs, drinking, and sex they want at home, and save the big bucks for med school.”</p>
<p>Mini,</p>
<p>Did you overhear my conversation with my S? ;)</p>
<p>At our hs, the custom is for the senior trips to be father/son or mother/daughter, so my husband is going on a 5 day trip with 6 other boys and dads to Cozumel. They have planned deep sea fishing trips and scuba trips. I think it is a neat tradition, but being a mom of boys, I never get to go…</p>
<p>I’m taking my college age son and my hs freshman to London for the week to visit friends. I kind of envy my husband and he kind of envies me…</p>
<p>Our college D and S have to use their own money for travel. D came home for Spring Break during her freshman and soph years. Junior year she was abroad, so she and several friends went to several places in Spain. This year, as a senior, they have planned a trip to…Vegas! We aren’t totally thrilled about that, but we have talked about staying together, and making good decisions. Also…she knows we are not bailing her out with more money if she loses at the slots. She has a pretty slim budget and has always been conservative with her money, so we don’t think that will happen. </p>
<p>S1 came home freshman year, and will be doing the same this year. He likes getting together with his HS buddies, and watching wall-to-wall basketball (NCAA tournament will start while he’s home!)</p>
<p>“If a kid wants to they can get into trouble anywhere, basic ground rules apply everyday.”</p>
<p>Yeah, that’s true for the most part…but they can get in a whole different kind of trouble in Mexico or the Bahamas. There are strange laws in some of these places! That’s ONE of the reasons we said no to our son’s request during high school. It was a very unpopular move though!
The good news: Now that he’s been exposed to some of this craziness in college, he seems less inclined to spend his money on more of the same (to the extreme though from what I hear). So - you’re right on target Mini!</p>
<p>S is in FL on Spring Break right now! He is a 20 year old soph. Last year he came home. This year he just announced that he would be going to FL for Spring Break. He is self-supporting, doing well in school and paying his own expenses for this trip (15 hours in car X $2.50/gal. for gas!!!) so we really had no say except to be safe and not stupid. He is with a group of 13, mostly friends from high school. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping for the best…which would be that they all come back safe in one piece and nobody gets arrested/ticketed. Also I hope they don’t trash the house they have rented. I’m hoping the 3 girls in the group will be the voice of reason!</p>
<p>A lot would depend on the who, what, where and why of the situation. I imagine there would be some situations we’d have no qualms about “effectively” vetoing through lack of funding and support and others that would be OK. </p>
<p>Now, how many of <em>us</em> would have been allowed to do a spring break “Girls Gone Wild” or equivalent type of trip back in college? I know I wouldn’t have been!</p>