This is your sign to book the trip.

This article is a little different from the ones I’ve written before. Today, I want to share an amazing part of my life as a reminder to just go for it, whether you’re already a student at LSE or thinking about starting your journey here.

For winter break, I went back home to Colombia. Right before my flight, I felt incredibly nostalgic about finishing my first term and saying goodbye to the wonderful friends I had made (yes, I was going to Colombia just for a month. I’m Latin, I’m allowed to be dramatic). It felt like I had just arrived in the UK, and suddenly half my classes were already over. A one-year master’s dissertation sounds like a long time… but it really isn’t.

I had so many plans written in my notes, but after three months, I hadn’t completed even 10% of them. So I made a decision. This year wouldn’t be about planning. It would be about acting.

One thing on my list? Taking a trip with the friends I had made.

One morning, still in bed, I opened the Ryanair app, checked the promotions section, and saw flights from London to Tenerife for £30 round trip. Thirty. Pounds. I immediately texted my friend from Robeson House. We met in the common room and started planning right away.

We bought the tickets, then we decided to invite more people. We asked. And asked. And asked. And… everyone said no. Except one friend.

So we created a group chat and started planning properly. We searched TikTok and Booking.com for the best places to stay in Tenerife. We booked one accommodation, but then we found an even more beautiful one. The problem? It was for four people.

Luckily, our first booking had free cancellation within a week. So naturally, we decided to find one more person. More asking. More no’s. Until we thought about a girl we had talked to before but weren’t particularly close to. I had a feeling she would be an amazing travel partner (latin intuition). So my friend asked her. She said yes. And let me tell you, it was one of the best decisions we made. (Never doubt a Latin woman’s sixth sense.)

This whole experience taught me something simple: just ask.

Will 90% of people say no? Probably. But we can survive a no. Eventually, someone will say yes. And sometimes, the people you’re not that close to yet become the ones you create the best memories with.

After booking the new accommodation, we rented a car, which I highly recommend for places like Tenerife where public transport isn’t the fastest. A week before the trip, we each researched activities we wanted to do and created a four-day schedule.

In total, we spent £370 each, including flights, accommodation, food, car rental and activities (including a boat trip WITH WHALE WATCHING). For four days? That’s honestly a great deal.

Now, when I look back at that trip, I always smile. There were so many iconic moments and inside jokes. It wasn’t just about Tenerife. It was about saying yes. About taking action. About choosing to live instead of waiting for the “perfect time.”

Spring break is coming, and this is your sign. Especially for master’s students, many of us don’t have classes during the spring term. You can study during the week and travel on the weekend. Balance.

Stop waiting. Stop overthinking.

JUST BOOK THE TRIP!