Abigail Hull is a Margaritaville ambassador at Northern Kentucky University. You can follow her Margaritaville adventures on Instagram. Learn more about Margaritaville University here.

Teaching a class about Margaritaville on a college campus is a daunting task, simply because there is so much to cover. How can an ambassador teach about Margaritaville without preaching to a choir of exhausted college students, just a few weeks before their final exams?

You teach them how to relax.

My university, Northern Kentucky University, promotes leadership through service through many on-campus programs, from which the members host Leadership University classes: a way to rack up points within not only our leadership programs, but throughout Greek life as well.

After setting up the prgram with our Director of Student Engagement, I had my hopes set on a goal of 15 attendees, an average for a program such as this on campus. The program was entitled “Relaxing on Island Time.” After discussing the opportunity I’d been presented with the Directors of the Ambassador program, Jared and Joey, I felt more at ease. I had a strong support system, both at NKU and in Margaritaville. I had asked my fellow Margaritaville ambassadors to weigh in their ideas: how do you relax during finals week? The votes leaned most toward music, first, with many outdoor activities just behind it. Taking this advice to heart, I decided to play some music by none other than the great Jimmy Buffett.

The Facebook event page I had created still only had a few RSVPs, and I was hoping the flyers I had posted around campus would also generate enough interest. I had gifts for the first 25 attendees, along with flyers, handouts from the campus wellness center, stickers, leis, and coloring pages to de-stress before the program began. Little did I know, I was underestimating my reach on NKU’s campus: the sign-in sheet listed a total of 43 students!

I started introducing the college program and the brand in a very crash-course, Margaritaville 101 style, covering some basic statistics and what the brand means to me, and presented the findings from the Facebook poll of the ambassadors. I then presented my main ideas on how to relax during finals week, featuring quotes to carry them through the end of the semester.

• “If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane” – Relax and hang out with friends!
• “Take the weather with you” – Get outside!
• “Living my life like a song” – Listen to music or make your own!
• “I will play for gumbo” – Enjoy a relaxing meal!
• “If life gives you limes, make margaritas” – Create something!
• “Only time will tell if it was time well spent” – Take a break!
• “Breathe in, breathe out, move on” – Take time for yourself!
• “Shells sink, dreams float” – Take a nap!

Download and print the official “Relaxing on Island Time” flyer. (It makes a great gift for friends during finals week!)

How do you plan to relax on island time on August 15^th, National Relaxation Day? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with #Margaritaville #NRD.