Compiled by Nicole Martin > Sophomore > Journalism and Sociology > Pennsylvania State University; Photo by AR > Sophomore > Graphic Design > UMBC
Last spring break, I went to Daytona Beach with a few of my single girlfriends. Everyone was looking for hookups to have fun with – after all, it was spring break on the beach – except me. At that time I had been with my boyfriend, Peter*, for a year and a half.
The first day I was there, I was laying out to get a tan with the girls when a volleyball hit my leg. I looked up to see a really cute boy running towards me. He picked up the ball, and with a smile, asked me if I’d like to join. Without hesitation, I detached from my group of girls, said yes and got up to join him. Throughout our game, I found out more and more about him: his name was Will, he was a junior in college, and attended Florida State University.
I guess time does fly when you’re having fun, because I completely lost track of time and before I knew it, it was dark and he invited my friends and me back to his place. My phone had died by this point, and I wondered if I should go back to our room to charge it and call him, or go to his place and party. I decided on the latter, knowing that Peter would be wondering why he hadn’t heard from me. I decided to just call him later.
While at Will’s, my girlfriends and I drank and danced until at one point Will asked me to go on a walk with him. I stopped for a minute and thought, maybe it was a bad idea, but I was confident I had enough self-control that it wouldn’t be a problem. So I went with him. As we walked, we discovered we had the same major (Education), and many of the same interests. I became more attracted to Will the more we talked. As we approached the beach we saw an empty lifeguard tower and sat in it, listening to the waves in the night sky. Soon enough, he was kissing me. And I definitely didn’t stop him.
After making out for awhile on the tower, Will and I went back to his place together and, ultimately hooked up. At the time, I later realized, I was only thinking about my own freedom and the excitement of something new rather than consequences that I knew would come.
When I woke up in the morning, my friends had all gone back to our hotel, so I quickly left Will’s and didn’t leave my number. My friends, of course, friendlily interrogated me about what had happened, but I insisted on not talking about it because I was in such deep regret. My best friend kept reassuring me: its spring break, and what happens here, stays here. But I couldn’t help my guilt, and I had to tell Peter what happened.
Needless to say the conversation didn’t go well. Peter broke up with me, and I understand, but I was truly hurt by what happened. I never spoke to Will again and I don’t really talk to Peter that much, but I often think about them both. I definitely think that it wouldn’t have happened if I wasn’t on spring break – it has the rep of being a wild time for students and, admittedly, I got caught up in my moment of spontaneity.
Spring break definitely taught me a lesson, but I’ve tried not to regret what I did because you can’t learn from your mistakes if you never make them. Next break I’ll be sure that if I am in a relationship, I’ll make the decision to go back to my own room and charge my phone.
– Stefanie Harrison, West Virginia University
*Some names have been changed for privacy reasons.
