Heaps of snow melt into slush, only to be frozen days later. Washers and dryers flood with laundry. Students alternate between cramming for tests and cramming clothes into duffel bags.

Spring break is almost upon us.

Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll make my habitual three-and-a-half journey south–a long, lovely date with I-29–to my hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska. Unlike myself, many of my friends are traveling far to exciting, exotic places around the globe. I will be living vicariously through their Instagram posts.

Nevertheless, the approaching break has led me to reminisce about the places I’ve traveled throughout my life and further, the runs I’ve completed in those places. Running is my favorite part of traveling; it gives me a break from being a tourist and allows me the opportunity to explore new places in new ways.

 

So, today I asked my teammates the following question: if you could go for a run anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

 

“I would choose Seattle or Portland because I love feeling so small while I’m surrounded by the trees and the mountains and the ocean.”–Elizabeth Yoder

“Crested Butte, Colorado. That’s where my summer training camp was in high school. It’s the most beautiful place ever.”–Skylar DeJong

“Maroon Bells in Colorado. My high school coach ran there and says it’s beautiful. If you run in the spring, there are flowers. They’re the most photographed mountains in North America.”–Rachel Rairdon

“I would go to Canada, specifically a place with lots of mountains and lakes. It’s beautiful and the mountains are amazing.”–Rebekah Rairdon

“Alaska. I just think it would be really fun, and there’s lots of good scenery.”–JJ Orput

“I would run in the old parts of Spain. The old clay buildings in Barcelona would be cool to see.”–Brian Bentzinger

“New Zealand because I would make Peter Jackson run with me and point out all the places they filmed Lord of the Rings.”–Carly Rahn

“I would just run across as many European countries as I could until I got tired. I think I could hit a lot of countries at once, and I’ve never been to Europe before.”–Claire Boersma

“I would run across the ocean–on top of the water–to Hawaii. Hawaii is cool, and they have lots of fruit there.”–Sydney Mudgett

“I used to always say I’d run in Norway, and now I’m actually going. So let’s go!”–Noah Hanson (with an enthusiastic fist pump)

“That Nike track [in Oregon] with the trees in the middle. I would take a picture, put it on Instagram, and get a whole bunch of likes and follows.”–Evan Johnson

“I would go to Greece. It would be cool to run in the location of the first actual marathon.”–Logan Burns

“I would run on the Great Wall of China. It would be a good experience.”–Jesus Urtusuastegui

“Seefeld, Austria. They have some of the best air quality in the whole world, and I ran there once and it was frickin’ beautiful.”–Ryley Nelson

“New Zealand. I’ve always wanted to go there, and it’s really pretty.”–Morgan Parys

“The Nike track in Oregon. I know a lot of professional runners have been there. Plus, to be on a track with trees surrounding you is beautiful.”–Leah Seivert

“It would be really cool to run next to the Grand Canyon. I like the idea of feeling small compared to the grandeur of things next to me.”–Wyatt McLeod

“I would run on a treadmill on one of those boats that goes through Venice. It has nothing to do with running. I just want to go to Venice.”–Henry Klitzke

“I would go to London because it was really pretty, and I want to go back.”–Julia Megazzini

“Lanesboro, Minnesota. I would go on a 12 mile out-and-back on the trails. We went there all the time in high school.”–Sean Heaton

“Banff National Park. I really like looking at scenery when I run.”–Aaron Runge

“I would run to every single country so I could see all of them.”–Courtney Hottovy

“Anywhere I could run with [the team].”–Jackie Turner