By Brylee Beckley
“No, you are not staying there without any adults with you.”
This is something teenagers have heard numerous times from their parents.
For seniors Janay Cicotte, Maxx Martinez, Andrew Hewitt, Madelyn Haley, Gwen Clark and Heddie Heintzelman, they got the response they were looking for.
These six seniors are going to Longboat Key, Fla., for spring break with no parents.
“We have all been each other’s best friends since eighth grade,” Cicotte said.
Though it will not be a big road trip down together, they will all be flying down on Allegiant airline together.
They decided to go to Longboat Key because Gwen Clark’s mom will be staying 30 minutes away, in case of any emergencies. Also, they have friends staying in Siesta Key, Fla., that they can go and hang out with for a day.
“We all are just so excited to get in the Florida sunshine and tan,” Cicotte said.
Spring break is coming up shortly. Delta’s spring break is March 18-25. This is the last long break students will have for the 2021-22 school year.
For senior Kaydence McNabb, feeling the boat rock and the sun shining and hearing the clashing sound of the waves is what she cannot wait to experience for another time.
McNabb is going on her third cruise, this time to Jamaica, Cayman Islands, and Ocho Rios. Her previous destinations were Mexico and Key West, and then also the Bahamas.
Her five-day cruise is leaving from Miami, Fla. Accompanying McNabb will be her dad, step-mom, sister and her two step-sisters.
“I am super excited to be on another Carnival Cruise, which is known as the fun cruise,” McNabb said.
Junior Eleni Bow is going to Belize for spring break. Bow and her parents have been planning to visit Belize for a couple of years. Her parents, Jennifer and Curtis Bow, are nurse practitioners and faculty members at IU East in Richmond.
On this trip, they will provide nursing aid and will explore the country.
“I’m excited for the wildlife, to be able to check for scorpions in your shoes and tarantulas in your showers,” Bow said, “and to see the beautiful birds.”
It will be the dry season in Belize, so the weather will be hot.
“I will definitely be bringing lots of sunscreen, lots of bug spray, and a worm pill in case the water is contaminated,” Bow said.
This will not be her first time outside of the country. She has been to Canada, Mexico, Iceland, France and Belgium.
“I cannot wait to get outside of the country again to learn about another part of the world,” Bow said.
Many choir and band students are going on a spring break trip, also.
The choir took a trip to Disney three years ago. This year, though, they will be going to Universal in Orlando, Fla. The choir will leave from Delta on Thursday to arrive on Friday morning, and they will depart Monday night.
They are performing at Ron Jon Surf Shop on Saturday, and then at the Lagoon Beach Stage in CityWalk on Sunday.
The band is going to Universal in Florida for two days and Disney World for two days. While there they are performing in the Stars Afternoon Parade. This will be the first big trip for the band since 2002.
Freshman Kelsey Vest is in the band and will be going on the trip.
“I will never forget this trip,” Vest said. “I’m super excited that I’m going because it will be a chance to make some lasting memories with the seniors.”
Freshman Samori Mckell-Jeffers is spending his spring break in Atlanta, Ga. Mckell-Jeffers is visiting Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCU) with the NAACP Muncie Youth Empowerment Group.
“This trip will give me an idea on what the campus is like, and an idea on where I want to go in four years,” Mckell-Jeffers said.
One of the schools Mckell-Jeffers will be touring is Spelman College, which is ranked the number one HBCU in the country.
Whether going on a vacation without parents, going on a cruise, visiting another country, traveling with a group of classmates for a performance, or visiting colleges, these trips share one thing in common: fun days and nights full of memories.
“These memories that we are going to make are going to be some of the most memorable times in our lives, so we cannot wait to make these memories with each other,” Cicotte said.
