Exploring Michigan and Beyond on a Student Budget
Written by Jennifer Leonard
As a high schooler, I never went on trips for spring break or traveled for the holidays. I always preferred a cozy, relaxing weekend at home to the chaos of traveling. This attitude persisted during my first semester at Hillsdale, and it was absolutely lovely to enjoy fall break on a quiet campus, reading in the Arb, baking bread, and—most importantly—savoring the short lines in the dining hall.
I even got the chance to stay in town during Thanksgiving weekend last year, which is unusual, since the dorms typically close for the holiday. The small group of students who stayed on campus had a small Thanksgiving potluck in the Union. We had the Union TV room to ourselves, and I even got to have Thanksgiving dinner with a generous family in town. I treasured that chance to experience Hillsdale in a special, personal way.
But, as much as I love a relaxing long weekend in Hillsdale, nothing beats finishing your classes and rushing to your friend’s car to cram it full of duffle bags, blasting Willie Nelson as you sing along:
“On the road again, I just can’t wait to get on the road again,
We’re the best of friends, insisting that the world can turn out our way,
And our way is on the road again.”
Planning a trip may seem like a lot of work, but it is totally worth it. Here are a few tips to make the most of your precious relaxation time!
#1: Travel with friends who are happy campers
Part of the joy of a van full of college students is the flexibility. Without the constraints of a traditional family road trip or a business trip, a college road trip presents the perfect opportunity to make those stops at quirky roadside attractions or eat at a unique restaurant on the way. Plus, once you’re cooped up in your Airbnb for the night, you’ll want friends not easily perturbed if half the group wants to stay up and watch a cringey movie and the other half just finished huge term papers and needs to sleep for the next day-and-a-half.
#2: Keep track of costs and split at the end
Renting an Airbnb is a perfect option for a group of friends because it’s easy to split the cost amongst yourselves. If anyone in your group loves to cook, it will save everyone money to make your own meals—plus, it will mean you can stay in and enjoy each other’s company (or get some reading done!) while you cook.
Designate someone to keep track of gas money, the charge for the Airbnb, and the groceries, and send out your Venmo requests at the end of the trip. By the end, you will be surprised by how cheap trips can be.
On that note, you can save money by traveling in the off-season. This past fall break, we went to Mackinac Island, just in time to catch the best autumn leaves—and also to catch the reduced crowds and rental rates. For both our Niagara Falls and Mackinac Island trips, we stayed just outside of the main towns, which helped with costs.
#3: Keep it simple
Your group will likely have a mix of adventurous folks raring to explore and tired students who just want to unwind and spend time with their friends. During my first college trip, a spring break excursion to Niagara Falls, we were all so contentedly tired that we spent almost the entire trip showing each other our favorite movies and curling up on the couch for good naps. Most of our pictures at the Falls itself are from the nap we took on its banks! That might sound kind of lame, but the simplicity of it all gave us plenty of time to gear up for the rest of the semester and simply enjoy each other’s company.
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Hillsdale is blessed with a beautiful location—take the chance to explore it. Keep an open mind about where the open road might take you, and roll with the experience. Bring an aux cord for the car ride and don’t forget to add some Willie Nelson to the playlist. “I just can’t wait to get on the road again!”
Jennifer Leonard, ’24, is a student writer for Hillsdale’s Student Stories blog and an editor at The Forum. She enjoys studying English, pressing flowers, and dreaming about writing her Great American Novel.
Published in February 2022