This spring break, I found myself in a sticky predicament. As an international student, I couldn’t exactly hop into my car and be home in a couple of hours. Because of the chaos that is also known as midterms week at Furman, my friends and I also didn’t have a whole lot of time to plan a trip – hence leaving me in my predicament. I could either choose to sit around in my dorm room and mope, or make the most of the precious few days we get to relax and take a break.
I’m not going to lie – the former was pretty tempting. After all, I am in quite a serious relationship with my bed (and Netflix). At the same time, I didn’t want to look back on my college years and recall how I spent the entire break eating my feelings. I began picturing myself as the gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde from Willy Wonka, after she discovers the beauty that is blueberry pie and turns into a human balloon. Needless to say, the image was enough to get me out of bed and moving. In the process of feeling sorry for myself, I also realized there was so much more of South Carolina and North Carolina I had yet to discover beyond our little Furman bubble. Thanks to my trust-worthy pal Google, I was able to find a variety of fun activities in the area that would occupy myself for the following couple of days.
The first day of spring break, my friends and I decided to take advantage of the warm weather by going for a hike in Devils Fork State Park. It’s an absolutely gorgeous state park in South Carolina only an hour away from Furman, and is also where Lake Jocassee is (fun fact, it’s where we get our drinking water!). If you, like me, are someone who enjoys a great view but is not terribly athletic, these hikes are perfect for you. The trails are only a couple miles long and the view is breathtaking on beautiful sunny day. Lake Jocassee, with its crystal clear waters is also the perfect destination for fishing, boating and kayaking. After the hike, we enjoyed the afternoon soaking up the sun by kayaking in the lake for only $10 an hour.
The next day, we took a trip to Asheville, North Carolina. In Asheville, I fell in love with the quirky, artsy vibe of the city and of course all of the amazing restaurants that it is home to. For lunch, we stopped at a Western Asheville Lounge & Kitchen, a quaint yet inviting eatery with foods ranging from tacos, burgers, sandwiches etc. It was by far one of the best meals during my time at Furman, and I would highly recommend the avacado tempeh sandwich as well as their specialty – their crispy sweet potato tots. On the way home, we weren’t quite ready to call it a day, so we made the sporadic decision to stop by the North Carolina Arboretum botanical garden. What a mouthful, right? But after the visit, never in my life had I ever been so fond of plants (who knew lamb ear flowers was a thing?!). The arboretum boasts an impressive 434 acre garden that is perfect for people of all ages to visit, including families, children and even their pets! After strolling through the garden and admiring the flowers, there was even a scenic trail for us to hike through as a bonus.
So here’s my advice to you – those of you that actually read through my entire post – don’t be too quick to plan a getaway trip to Mexico or somewhere far away. Right here in our very neighborhood lies so many opportunities waiting to be explored. If you’re international like me – make the most of your time while your here because you never know how long it’ll be until your back once you graduate. The best part of going to these nearby locations was that it was such a de-stressing experience because it didn’t cost a lot of money and I was able to thoroughly enjoy myself with good company and an amazing view. Just something to think about…
Some pictures for your reference:
Lamb ear flowers! Who knew they were a thing?
Lake Jocassee