Spring Break is often hyped as one of the most unforgettable times in a college student’s life – and this year, it lived up to the hype. Alongside himself and his faithful Airpods, Axel Norbro left the snow-covered sidewalks of SUNY Cortland behind for the white sand beaches and ocean breeze of Miami, Florida. But before he even saw the sun, Norbro had to survive the travel arrangements.
The journey started on a less-than-glamorous note. Norbro had to survive a five-long bus ride down to Newark Penn Station, which would be much more difficult than he expected.
“That five-hour ride smelled like someone bottled up the Dark Horse bar’s bathroom on a Saturday night and let it stew,” Norbro said jokingly. “I am starting to think they want to make the drive as inconvenient as possible.”
Things didn’t improve much when the time came to board the flight and another punishment would set in place as Norbro and his friends had booked the cheapest flight they could find, which meant Spirit Airlines. For Axel, who’s 6-foot-3, sitting in a cramped economy seat was his own kind of punishment.
“The flight was definitely my biggest challenge,” Norbro said. “I didn’t have enough legroom, and you can’t adjust the seats on Spirit, so you could say I shot myself in the foot.”
Still, the discomfort was worth it. As soon as we touched down in Miami, we were met with palm trees, warm air, and best of all – reunions. Axel hadn’t seen his old roommate from SUNY Cortland Miguel De Antonio in almost six months, since Miguel moved to Florida after graduating the previous spring.
“It felt like Christmas in a way,” Axel said. “We’ve been really close since day one, and it felt good to finally see him again.”
Miguel, originally from Barcelona, Spain, had spent a few months working at a bank back home before deciding to shake things up. He packed up and moved across the Atlantic, choosing Downtown Miami as his new destination.
“I was proud of my job and situation in Spain, but I also know how important it is to experience something new,” De Antonio said. “That’s why I moved to the south of America.”
He’d only been in Miami for about two weeks when we arrived, but he’d already embraced the city’s rhythm – diverse, fast-paced, and colorful culture. When asked if he felt settled in, he smiled and said:
– I don’t think I’ll ever be able to settle anywhere except Barcelona. I just love traveling too much.
But Miguel and Axel weren’t the only Cortland connections in The Magic City. Eneko Rubio, another Cortland student from St. Sebastian, Spain also joined us for part of the week. He’d never been to Miami before, and the city’s energy was felt right when he stepped foot on the warm asphalt of Miami Airport.
“Miami was something different compared to what I’m used to,” Eneko told me. “I never thought the Magic City would be such a melting pot of different cultures and people.”
Together, we packed our days with as much as we could: catching a Miami Heat game, exploring the city’s neighborhoods, and taking a day trip to the southernmost point of Florida. We wrapped it all up with an airboat tour through the Everglades – a surreal experience filled with alligators, open skies, and a feeling that maybe this trip really had been something special.