As COVID-19 caused many people to quarantine, many needed the break to see family and do many activities they have missed the past year. Aliso Niguel students have done many different activities throughout the spring break.

   While spring break was only a week, many students took advantage of the free time they had before the 2020-2021 school year ends. Since spring break was the first break with a lot more places open around our area, students took advantage and traveled with safety precautions in mind. 

   When it comes to activities in Southern California, the beach tends to be one of the first ideas that comes to mind because of our area’s specialty in our beautiful beaches.There are many beaches around us that our students have visited during break including: Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Aliso Beach, etc.

   “I went to the beach and went thrifting,” says Kaitlyn Austin (11).

   While going to the beach was many people’s plans throughout the break, people also went shopping/thrifting. Austin explains, “Some of my favorite thrift stores are in Laguna Beach as well”.

   Too make up for the lack of traveling the past year due to quarantine, many have went out of Orange County to relax and play hard. Southern California does not just have amazing beaches, but it also has snow famously known to be found in Mammoth and Big Bear.Jack Tamialis (11) says, “I went camping with my friends in San Clemente and I went snowboarding in Mammoth”. 

   Students tend to love surfing, snowboarding, or skiing, so they go to the beach then drive a few hours to snowy mountains. In Southern California we can take advantage of our renowned beaches and hot weather as well as our colder weather at the mountain slopes.Taylor Machnikowski (11) also says, “I went to Mammoth and Palm Springs!” 

   Ashley Soto (11) says, “I went to Santa Barbara to check out colleges”.

   Many students have to apply to colleges soon and by having the free time of spring break, they use the time to visit colleges because of the past year’s disadvantage of colleges being closed. Claire Stokes (11) adds, “I went camping in Santa Barbara as well”.

   Some people have also reached out to others to spend time with friends in a safe manner, as they weren’t able to before because of the global pandemic. Cassidy Lo (11) says, “I met an online friend for the first time”.

    Since vaccines have been readily available to students above 16, people have slowly been going out with COVID-19 guidelines followed.

   Students had a week to spend time with friends and catch up. With all the places in California slowly opening up, students had many activities they did during Spring Break to make up for the past year of COVID-19 restrictions and quarantine by staying home.