Let’s brainstorm some of the best ways to spend spring break, shall we? There is sleeping, eating, sleeping, going on a trip out of the US, going on a cruise, some more eating, and then of course, sleeping. Oh, and maybe squeezing in some time to study for those midterms that  are creeping up and some time to work on those papers that you should have been doing last week, right? How about instead of doing all that stuff, consider going to Louisville, Kentucky. Yes, I did just say that. In fact, that’s exactly what I did! I went to this year’s American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Convention and Next Generation Conference and, to say the least, it was nothing I could have expected.

I was born and raised in California so the idea of going to Kentucky for spring break isn’t necessarily the first thing I would think of doing. But I’m glad I went. For those of you that don’t know, the conference is for college personnel, i.e. all those people on campus that make the Berkeley run every single day. All these individuals are part of the profession of Student Affairs, which despite not being widely recognized by the common student, is essential for a campus to function. Student Affairs practitioners range from the hard working professionals in the Center for Student Leadership to our Deans and Vice Chancellors (Dean Poullard and VC Le Grande).

I attended the Next Generation Conference part of the convention that is oriented to undergrads (like us!) who are involved in campus life and want to eventually join Student Affairs. This meant, aside from taking part in lectures and discussion panels with people from all over the US, I got to enjoy everything Louisville had to offer! I enjoyed dinner at the local hangout spot called Bluegrass Brewery Company while catching the University of Louisville win in March Madness. Needless to say, the entire restaurant got really excited and distracted during the last moments of the game. And this weekend was when Hunger Games came out, so I couldn’t miss that and hit the Baxter Avenue Theaters (the local movie theater). There is something about going to a city’s central hub that gives you a crash course in everything Louisville had to offer.

While waiting for my movie to start (I basically got there early since the time I went to watch was sold out – shocker right?), I found a coffee shop! Being the coffee addict that I have become, I got a latte at 9 pm and varied it up by getting the chocolate cupcake that the waitress recommended. And it was basically the best decision ever. Nothing quite like a nice cafe trip in my opinion.

My trip ended after I attended the speech by the amazing Van Jones. If you don’t know who he is, you really have to educate yourself. He worked in the White House with President Obama and is one of the best speakers that I have ever heard – he had me jumping out of my seat along with the rest of the audience. It was the perfect ending to spring break. Moral of the story: spend a few days in Louisville, Kentucky and you won’t be let down. I mean, how could you? You wouldn’t even know what to expect.

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