The sea breeze touches my face as I pull my hair into a messy bun. “Shotgun” by George Ezra has just come on, and I hear Annie gasp with excitement. Everyone is laughing. As we watch the sun start to kiss the Pacific Ocean, we wiggle our toes deeper into the cool sand. I feel myself smile and silently hope I can feel this happy forever.
My name is Brooke Mucino, and I am 2nd year student at the University of Florida majoring in Statistics. Last year, I went through rush and found my home away from home at Alpha Delta Pi. This past spring break I was able to experience California with five of my girlfriends. The moment I just described was when all six of us walked two blocks down from my uncle's house and sat on the beach until the sun set. I will always remember this past spring break because of how happy it made me.
My favorite day by far was when we went surfing. Imagine this: six warm-blooded Florida girls snuggled into their wetsuits, silently screaming when the freezing Pacific water attacked our bodies. The wetsuit truly offered minimum protection against the frigid water, but despite the cold, it was so much fun watching each one of us catch our first waves and it was so hilarious when we wiped out. In our heads, we all looked like professional surfers. The reality of it was we were having so much fun it didn’t matter how good or how bad we were, we were just happy to be there together.
Spring break is the week everyone looks forward to every year. I am from South Florida, so I easily could have gone home rather than go on this trip with my girls. However, I would much rather be together and experience the world with the people I hold closest to my heart. I know that everyone in my chapter feels that way because hardly anyone was alone this spring break. Some girls traveled to the beaches of the Bahamas while others spent spring break on the shores of Fort Lauderdale. All in all, ADPi was all over the map, from distributing water filters in Guatemala to skiing down the slopes of Utah to exploring the streets of Amsterdam to picnicing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. None of us had to travel together, yet we all chose to. Even next year, we are already planning on having a huge spring break with a group of 30 of us!
I recommend traveling with the people you care the most about because it makes the experience that much sweeter. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to travel with my girlfriends. My mom was not in a sorority in college, and it is something she regrets to this day. She constantly tells me to treasure these moments forever and that is exactly what I plan on doing. I will always appreciate my experiences with my sisters. If I had not become a member of Alpha Delta Pi a year ago, I never would have met my girls or gone on this trip. I would not have countless other memories like this one. I would not have met my best friends for life. Memories like these make me so grateful to be able to be a part of Alpha Delta Pi. Cheers to my girls, to our Cali adventure, and to the many adventures to come.
PS: Julia and I are already planning our European adventure this summer (;
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