Dashing Home

The holidays are upon us, the days are getting shorter, and the nights are getting colder. This can only mean one thing: winter is upon us and break is just around the corner and most students get to go home.

Students of California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) all come from a variety of locations whether it is local, a few hours away, or even out of state. Now in order for a student to go home for vacation (or just for a visit), there are many options a student can consider when choosing the right form of transportation.

Diego Ramirez, senior, Psychology, said every time he goes home he carpools with his girlfriend and a friend. “It’s a great way to save some money and gas is cheaper that way. We all live in SoCal [Southern California], close to one another so why not,” said Ramirez.

Carpooling is a way for getting to your destination and there are many ways a student can find a ride to go anywhere. At the Student Center there is a board where students post dates and locations they will be heading to and if anyone is interested in carpooling with them. Another way is taking the bus, train or even an airplane.

Christina Murillo, junior, Psychology, said she takes the plane when she knows she has to go home.

“If I know the exact date I will be going home, I book my flight in advance,” Murillo said. She added it was a faster way than taking the bus or car. “I live in the LA area so it takes about 8 hours by bus or train as opposed to 45 minutes by plane,” she added.

Depending on the transportation method of choice, there are always stories to accompany them. According to Ramirez, the conditions were so bad one trip driving home that they had to stop for the night.

“We were driving on the grapevine and we had to stop; there was just so much snow.” Ramirez also recommended checking the conditions of the roads and making sure you take the appropriate measures to be safe. “Having chains for your tires are a good item to have, for those just in case emergencies,” advised Ramirez.

The stories do not stop there. Murillo, who admits to having taken the train and a flight to get home, has some thoughts on the matter.

“I’ve taken the train once and it was quite an experience,” recalls Murillo. “There was this one guy next to me and he started to talk to me randomly. I was taken aback at first but he ended up being a really cool guy,” Murillo continued. Murillo also recalls of her flight experiences stating that getting to the airport early is key. She also suggests having everything prepared the night before, noting it to be one of the major problems causing her to be late.

A few tips that both Murillo and Ramirez both agree on is having some sort of entertainment while on the road.

“On the road trips I take with my girlfriend and friend, we usually end up playing some sort of game to pass the time,” Ramirez said.

For solo trips Murillo suggests a reading or the ever-popular musical option. “I listen to music or just read some material for class; it depends on my mood or the length of the trip,” Murillo said.

Whatever the trip, no matter where remember there are options available that could be looked into.