Junior Smrithi Balebail held on tightly to boulders as she climbed beside a mini 180-foot waterfall to the top of a 35-foot cliff in Jamaica. Once she made it to the peak, she looked down nervously as her family members and fellow tourists urged her to jump into the bright blue waters. As she jumped, she felt the exhilaration of falling through the tropical air, ready to hit the clear water.

Balebail, looking forward to a stress-free time after completing first semester, departed for tropical Jamaica with her family for a week.

While some students spent their break cooped up indoors as the rain poured, others headed overseas and escaped the weather.

“I was really excited for this trip because not only is Jamaica a really unique and fun place to go to, but it’s also a nice break from the stressful first semester of junior year,” Balebail said.

Besides basking in the sun on the beaches, Balebail said that she had the opportunity to see many things that she would never have been able to in other places. She visited a breathtaking lagoon, with microorganisms that glittered in the night if they were disrupted, and rode a bamboo raft down a river lined by native plants.

Unlike Balebail, who spent her break in a tropical destination, junior Vishal Narayan spent two cold and often snow-filled weeks touring Europe with his family. His itinerary included travelling to Berlin, Germany; Prague, Czech Republic; Vienna, Austria; Budapest, Hungary and Amsterdam, Netherlands.

“It was really eye-opening and fun to visit all these countries, where I was able to experience different cultures and try new things,” Narayan said. “It was definitely a memorable trip, and I’m grateful that I had the chance to visit all these places.”

Narayan and his family spent much time sightseeing, venturing out to see many famous statues, museums and churches. In Berlin, he visited a place called Museum Island, which consists of around five beautifully constructed museums that mostly display historic sculptures and Renaissance paintings. He also visited the Reichstag in Germany and got to see the gate that Napoleon marched through to take over the city.

“Even though museums and statues aren’t as fun as beach resorts, it was really fun to be able to visit and see these places for myself,” Narayan said. “I’m extremely glad for winter break, since it gives you a break after the stressful first semester and allows you to go on memorable trips like these.”