I’m dreaming of a beach with glistening white caps rushing onto shore as if they want to join the party. There’s music blaring, people dancing, alcohol flowing. As darkness descends, a huge bonfire lights up the night.

This is a spring break dream. And, because I’m broke, it will stay that way &- just a dream.

Spring break is supposed to be a time for people to relax, catch up on sleep, party and maybe even get ahead on upcoming assignments. For many it is a time to travel and go a little wild.

But it seems lack of money is keeping some students away from traveling. Safety is also a concern on the minds of students who may have been interested in going to popular spring break destinations like Cancun, Mexico.

Aaron Lane, graduate history student, is heading south, but said he is not interested in crossing the border.

“Hell no! There’s cartel problems and Americans getting killed,” Lane said. “It’s not the best place to go. Plus, you can’t drink the water.”

The U.S. State Department issued a travel warning in September warning Americans about the danger posed by the drug violence in Mexico, which is still in effect. However, the warning was mainly for border towns like Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana. Resorts like Cancun are still considered safe for travel.

If I had the money I would definitely go to the warm and sunny southern beach of Cancun. The blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico would be a welcome change to the crisp weather of Northern California. While I would not drink the tap water, I would certainly have my fair share of fruity blue drinks with little umbrellas, preferably served at the water’s edge by an exotic bronze waiter.

Liz Bell and Samantha Pilkington, both sophomore interior design majors, agree lack of money is a main reason for not traveling on the break.

“It’s 100 percent about money,” Bell said. “Last year I spent spring break in France. This year I’m staying home.”

Pilkington said a lot of her friends will just be going home to visit their parents.

“A lot of parents think they’re already paying for college – they can’t really afford to pay for spring break too,” Pilkington said.

Even hopping in the car and going for a drive along the beautiful North Coast can be out of reach. According to AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report the average price of a gallon of regular gas in California is a whopping $3.92!

Osagie Odiase, sophomore sociology major, is heading to Arkansas to visit family. But, it’s not his first choice.

“I’m trying to get out of going to Arkansas,” Odiase said. “I’d much rather see my cousin play football at ASU.”

Odiase said he will definitely not be studying even though he has assignments due after the break.

“I’m going to have fun and party, not study at all,” Odiase said.

I can’t blame anyone for not studying on spring break. By this time in the semester your brain is fried and it’s easy to be lazy for a full seven days, lying in bed and nursing a hangover during the day, going out at night to get a new one. But, it’s not really my style.

I’m going to spend some of the time studying, writing a paper and getting caught up on reading that I haven’t quite gotten to yet. I’ll probably improve my ground game on UFC for Xbox. I might even pull together enough change for gas to make it to the Bay Area. But, I have no hope of being a girl gone wild.