“Darien: A Nice Place to Live”–and the suburbs surrounding it— are where we South students call home. When it comes to spending your free time as a teenager, however, sometimes it seems like there’s not much to actually do. Killing time on your phone is fine in moderation, but spending your whole spring break on TikTok will deteriorate your mental health, undo the good habits you’ve developed during the school year, and honestly, just isn’t all that fun. That said, DuPage does have much to offer; one just has to look a little closer… or, read this list! 

1: The Dupage Bike Trail System

DuPage County boasts over 500 miles of bike trail, many of which are actually old railroad tracks that were transformed in the first successful rail-to-trail conversion in the United States. They stretch across the whole county: from Argonne National Laboratory to the DuPage airport. Though I haven’t quite finished yet, I’ve biked 100s of miles of trail in my years here, and I’ve found beauty I didn’t expect from this place. My top recommendations are the trail within Waterfall Glen that surrounds Argonne and the Green Valley Trail–specifically the overlook.

2 : Spring Cleaning (Not Your Closet)

Spring vacation is a great time to organize yourself for the rest of the school year and the summer. Take advantage of the break and seriously plan out your summer. Going into the last few months of school, which can get intensely busy, knowing exactly what your life will look like in the time afterwards might save you a lot of stress. You don’t want to realize in May that you are going to be bored out of your mind or completely inundated for the next few months.

3 : Morton Arboretum

The Morton Arboretum is chock-full of places to walk around alone or with friends! The paths stretch across acres of nature, from the beautiful trees to the large-scale sculptures that change every few years. I’ve gone there since I was 2 years old, and even at 17, I still find it incredibly peaceful and fun if I’m with friends. I’d recommend bringing a snack, however; there is a cafeteria, but the options for food are limited.

4 : Volunteer

Volunteering and serving your community can both be a way to pass the time over break and do something meaningful. Also, to increase the allure to some: a few more volunteer hours never hurt your college app. The West Suburban Community Pantry takes volunteers ages 14+, and the process of becoming a volunteer there is not complicated or slow. There are often shifts available, and your help will be appreciated. Spring break can be a stressful time for kids who rely on free school meals, so having an extra set of helping hands won’t hurt.

5 : Escape the Room!

Escape rooms are a fun activity for a large group of friends. For those unfamiliar with the concept, an escape room is an immersive experience where you work together to solve puzzles and find clues in order to ‘escape’ a room. They can have various themes, from bank heists to submarine escapes to James Bond-style mysteries, and are a good way to kill a couple of hours. There are several escape rooms in DuPage County, but the best one from my experience is Escape the Room at Oakbrook mall. 

6 : Focus On Your Health

As high school students, we often have no time to think about our health, both mental and physical, while in the midst of a mountain of homework and activities. Taking some time to think about your health might help you survive the next few months and the years of school to come. Some simple changes you can consider are establishing a regular sleep schedule or a workout routine you can reasonably maintain during schooltime, not just break. You have 9 days to start a habit, and if that habit is sustainable, you could change your life in high school and beyond.

7 : Learn a New Skill

Spring break can be a great time to try new things. During the school year, we’re often so inundated with tasks that we simply don’t have the time or motivation to start a new skill. Spring break is a whole week where you can dedicate your time to a new hobby. Once you get the hang of it, this can be something you do to destress during the rest of the year when you have time. You can even propose this idea to your friends and family and learn together. Here are a couple of ideas to try: learning to play an instrument; learning a new craft (knitting, crocheting, friendship bracelets etc); trying a new sport; baking; cooking, etc. Anything that you’ve been thinking about doing but haven’t had the time to do goes!