By Destiny Jackson, Co-Opinion Editor
The semester is over. No more essays uploaded to Blackboard at 11:59 pm. No more teachers assigning your group presentations. And most of all no more nightly homework. Now you can cuddle up with yourself, your significant other, or maybe your favorite plush that you’ve had since the third grade (I won’t judge) and catch up on all the things you missed while your head was in the books all semester.
For some, the holidays are truly the most wonderful time of the year. As I assume, people must go around roasting chestnuts on an open fire, cooking up matzo ball soup with their bubbie, and pretending to sleep until midnight in order to unwrap that iPhone 11 Pro Max that they asked Jeff Bezo–I mean Santa to deliver on Christmas.
However, for the rest of us, we are tired of Mariah Carey, choking down Eggnog, taking our cousins to visit mall santa, and trying to tell our racist uncles that President Trump is the opposite of a Christmas miracle (read: Christmas jackass).
We just want to escape and try something new. Perhaps somewhere else? But of course at the end of the day, we are run down, tired, broke college students. Where could we possibly go to find our holiday rejuvenation? Well thanks to sites like Kayak, Skyscanner and Student Universe there’s a lot of great places we can access on a (albeit tight) student budget.
International
Going out of the country during the holidays seems like a big feat. There’s passports, luggage, and with 195 countries in the world, how the heck do you choose? If you want to get away just for a week during the holiday, but still have a little Christmas cheer abroad on a budget, I’ve got you covered. Luckily traveling to these sections of Europe and Asia during the winter and early spring are cost effective.
Where? Lapland, Finland ($ 618)
Finland isn’t on every bucket list, I get that, and it’s a little over the $600 threshold. But, if you are a daredevil or full of holiday spirit, the official hometown of Santa Claus (seriously, look it up) in the Arctic Circle is definitely a place to visit.
Why? Here you can find snowmobile rallies, reindeer, and Santa’s very own village guaranteed to be jam packed with toy workshops, candy canes, and delicious gingerbread cookies.
Where? Orchard Road, Singapore ($428)
Crazy Rich Asians aren’t the only ones who can have fun in Singapore. Crazy Broke College students can too! Especially with some student hostel accommodations as low as $20 a day.
Why? If you’re tired of your aunt’s dry turkey and your dad’s not-so-mashed-potatoes, Singapore is well known for its street food vendors. During the holiday time tourists flock to try a local spin on traditional classics like; sausage stuffed with herbs, roast potatoes, boiled green peas, and roasted tomatoes. On top of that Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport not only houses planes but a full fledged theme park with rides, shops, botanical gardens and more! If you want to check out Santa’s igloo and experience a dazzling snow and twinkling stars light laser show this is the place to walk off those calories.
Domestic
Don’t have a passport? No interest in traveling internationally until your retirement age? No problem. Here are a few interesting options in the United States, sort of.
Where? Santa Claus, Indiana ($430)
Similar to Finland, we have our own special brand of Christmas Town. The small town of Santa Claus, has a population of just a little over 2,300 and is home to the only Santa Claus Post Office in the world. They receive over 40,000 pieces of mail every year just on name alone. Here they celebrate Christmas 365 days a year, so honestly, you can travel here any time.
Why? This place is solely for the social media influencers looking for the next holiday glow up. While all your friends are vacationing in the over-crowded New York City waiting to see that shiny disco ball drop, you could be in Santa Town USA. The town has a 2,000 acre wood with Christmas Lake Village in which they hold a light and storytelling parade about the spirit of Santa and his reindeer. They also have Santa’s Lodge which starts at a sort of pricey $80 a night, and a St. Nick’s Diner. You can also take photos with Rudolph, Dasher and Blitzen–did I mention they were Fire Trucks?
Where? San Juan, Puerto Rico ($290)
Alright, this one is cheating. Puerto Rico is a US territory, so no passport needed, but it is just far away enough that it feels like an international trip. Bonus: it is also the cheapest flight and college students can get away with spending about $60 dollars a day.
Why? Who doesn’t like pina coladas and warm white sand beaches? Luckily during this time of year Puerto Rico weather ranges from 80F to a mild low of 73F. The holidays in Puerto Rico are surely not to be missed just on the sheer party factor alone. On the streets of Old San Juan you can find yourself delighted and dazzled by a spectacular street party known as El Dia de Los Tres Reyes Magos (Three Kings’ Day). Children in Puerto Rico grow up knowing that Santa is a complete fabrication of Western culture, so they focus on the three men that delivers presents to the baby Jesus. Here you can find street performers, parades, and a special drink called Coquito, which is similar to eggnog but made with coconut and rum instead of the traditional bourbon and milk.
As for myself, I often find time to travel in the offseason on a tight college budget during the fall and winter season, mostly because traveling during this time is heavily discounted outside of the US, and also because life is too short to just know the comfort of the sunny skies and palm trees in California. I hope this article helps you with your inner wanderlust. Because travel is possible for broke students like us.
