Right after the holidays come and go, we all start counting down to our favorite weeklong respite: spring break. Whether you’re taking a trip with your Kappa Delta sisters, heading to the beach, the mountains, the big city or just chilling out at home with your family, it’s important to remember these basic safety tips. We’ve all heard a few spring break horror stories over the years, but staying safe will help you and your sisters return to campus well-rested, healthy and in one piece! 

Stay hydrated. 

With all the fun that spring break has to offer, oftentimes it’s easy to forget to down some much-needed H2O. Please remember to hydrate, especially if you’re vacationing in a warmer climate, like the beach. Carry a water bottle with you and drink a glass or two with each meal to help you remember. Feeling ill from dehydration or even needing a trip to the hospital is probably not on your agenda of fun things to do during the week.  

If you’re in a location where the local water may not be safe to drink, stock up on water bottles as soon as you arrive or bring a case of water from home. 

Be hotel-savvy. 

We recommend you do a little research on accommodations before booking a vacay. The cheapest option may seem like the friendliest for your wallet but read reviews online first to make certain that the hotel or rental is in a safe neighborhood. The last thing you want is to arrive and realize your hotel is in the middle of a shady part of town. Also, be sure to book a hotel that has locking safes in each room.  Keep cash, passports and valuables locked away when you leave for excursions. Most importantly, never share your room number or hotel location with strangers and request rooms not located on the ground floor. 

Don’t ever leave a drink unattended. 

Always, always, always keep your beverage, alcoholic or not, in your hand or in your line of vision. Even if you look away for only a moment, toss it and get another. A quick second is all a perpetrator needs to take advantage of a beverage that is not being monitored.  

There’s safety in numbers. 

While away from home, the KD sisters and friends traveling with you are your pack.  Don’t go anywhere without them and encourage the other women in your group not to go anywhere alone either.  Even if you and a friend simply need to make a run to the convenience store, let others know where you’re going and when you plan to be back. It’s not a bad idea to share your location with a friend on your phone either! When you are out in public, don’t wander away from the group alone. Do a headcount and make sure everyone is accounted for when leaving one location for another. Make sure that if you leave the house with four friends, you return with four friends. 

Be discrete. 

We live in the age of social media, where everyone shares their thoughts, the company they are with, even what they ate for lunch on their phones. While posting some pictures of you and your KD sisters on vacation is perfectly fine, we encourage you to wait until you safely return home. Posting things online that alert others to where you are staying or who you are with can lead to a dangerous situation. 

Also, we highly encourage you to withdraw any cash from an ATM before you leave for your trip and store it in a safe. If you need to make a trip to an ATM, do so during the day with a friend. Be conscious of who might be watching and don’t draw attention to your credit cards, wallet or cash.  Keep your purse zipped and securely closed at all times to avoid theft. 

KDHQ wishes you a wonderful spring break, and we hope that with these tips, you feel confident to safely embark on your adventure!