Favorite St. Patrick’s Day Tradition:
Payton:
St. Patricks Day is highly celebrated in the United States, and while throughout my life I have not celebrated a lot, a tradition I have always loved is that people have to wear green. Everybody knows that you have to wear green, and if you do not wear green, then people are allowed to pinch you. This is a very innocent tradition that binds people together rather than tearing them apart.
Sara:
Despite being Irish, my family does not go all out for St. Patrick’s Day every year. Our only real tradition is eating something that we dyed green. It started when I was a kid, and my mom would make a completely green breakfast for us. I was convinced that a leprechaun came and did it, so it became a tradition. The food isn’t as big as a whole breakfast anymore, but throughout the day at least one food has to be dyed.
Best Spring Break Day Trip:
Payton:
Spring break is coming up soon and I, as well as many others, will be staying in Colorado this break. While staying in Colorado may seem like it could be boring, this does not have to be the case. My favorite local spring break thing to do is to go on a mountain drive with my friends. The mountains are so beautiful just to drive through, and if the weather is nice enough, we like to pull our car to the side and do a bit of wandering.
Sara:
Colorado is filled with many beautiful and interesting places, but one of my favorites happens to be close to home. On warmer spring days I love hiking around Red Rocks Park. The trails and sights are absolutely beautiful; I’ll never get tired of them no matter how often I see them. And afterwards, you can spend time exploring the shops in Morrison — there are plenty of little shops lining the street. If hiking isn’t your thing, you can also sign up for one of the activities in the Red Rocks amphitheater. I personally attended “Yoga on the Rocks.”
Favorite Thing About Spring:
Payton:
My favorite part of spring is definitely seeing the seasons change and the plants grow. As the snow melts, flowers bloom and grass turns green, my attitude has a strong shift, and I automatically just feel happier. There is something about the weather that just makes people better. I love spring because I love the way it can make people feel.
Sara:
Spring is my favorite season. More specifically, though, I love the rain showers. Rain has always been my favorite type of weather, especially when it’s still slightly sunny and warm during the rain. Ever since I was a kid, I would go outside and play in the puddles with friends or jump on a wet trampoline because it was bouncier. I’ve also learned to appreciate the way rain helps gardens grow. When I started helping more with my family’s gardens, I never had to water the plants on rainy days, which crossed a chore off my list. Rain has always seemed to refresh the Earth after a cold winter.
Favorite Easter Tradition:
Payton:
Waking up on Easter morning and walking out to see my Easter basket on the counter every time has to be my favorite Easter tradition. While, yes, I love the things inside my Easter basket more than anything I love that my mom takes the time every year to make sure I feel loved. The best part of Easter is being with the people who love you, and those who you love.
Sara:
When my family gets together to celebrate Easter, we go all out. My oldest step-brother creates an intricate egg hunt for my other step-brothers and me to solve. Each year the game changes slightly — sometimes we work together, other times it’s a race — but one aspect always stays the same: our eggs aren’t filled with candy. Instead, each egg has a hint that leads us to the next egg, like a scavenger hunt. Finally, we get to the main prize, which is either individual gifts for the siblings or a large, gold egg with a gift for all of us to split. Even though we’re all much older now, it’s still a fun activity for us to share.
