Grace Ann Nader’s Guide To The Perfect Spring Break

If there were a patron saint of spring break, it would probably be Grace Ann Nader. The 25-year-old model and reality star is known among her loved ones as “Ganimal,” a nickname she earned as a sophomore in high school on a trip with her friends. “We went on spring break, and I was just the most fun person ever. This is how I remember it,” she jokes. “I’m sure other people may give you a different story.”

According to Nader, she was out all night every night, doing backflips into the pool, being a “beast at beer pong,” and holding a keg stand longer than anyone else. “I don’t know what came over me, but it earned me my nickname,” she says. Ten years later, living in New York City and starring on Love Thy Nader with her sisters, she’s left some of those habits in the past — but make no mistake, she’s still the woman you want to call to help with your vacay itinerary. “I am the spring break girl, let me tell you,” she says. “I love doing parties and being in the sun.”

It seems only right that Nader share that wisdom. Below, find her tips for the perfect spring break, from what to pack to how to keep the peace with your friend group.

Grace Ann’s Favorite Destinations

Nader is a “tropical girl at heart,” so you’ll always find her going somewhere she can sit on a beach. She has two spots she swears by, depending on the vibe you want:

• Costa Rica: For girls looking for a wellness destination, this is Nader’s go-to. “It’s pura vida, eating healthy, fresh fruit. I don’t really drink there,” she says. “I love to go surfing, and I’ve recently gotten OK at it. It’s like being born again — waking up early, going out on the water.”
• Key West, Florida: This spring break hotspot is the “best time ever” for a party trip with your friends, Nader says. “It’s gorgeous. The water is crystal blue, it’s straight off a postcard, and there’s also lots of live music and dive bars,” she says, plus you can bike or walk to most places you’d need to go. “It really does feel like you’re in the Caribbean or the Bahamas, but it’s not super hard to get to.”

Her Packing List Of Must-Haves

Organization? Not the priority. “My suitcase is always like a freaking tornado went off. It’s so messy and full of things,” Nader says. She can’t leave home without a few essentials. “I always have LMNT, the hydration packets. That’s the best one. They’re low sugar, straight hydration,” she says. “Then lots of sunscreen and Aquaphor, because I love to sit in the sun. Getting tan is definitely a priority, but we want to tan responsibly.” She recommends 100 SPF on the face, hands, and feet.

For outfits, she keeps the formula fairly simple — an activewear set for morning coffee walks, a bikini for lounging by the pool, and a dressy look for night, plus sweats to wear in the airport.

Nader relies on accessories to switch up her looks. “I always have a variety of hats — a big floppy hat for dramatic effect, then some baseball caps for hangover airport days. Lots of flip-flops that you can wear to the pool and also the bar, and maybe even out to dinner at night,” she says. “Definitely some bags that I can fit a lot of stuff in — I have a Rebecca Minkoff one that I bring everywhere.” She also throws in a variety of sunglasses and gold jewelry, including body chains. “They’re so sexy; guys love them,” she says.

How She’s Spending The Day

Nader’s ideal vacation day involves a mix of wellness and partying. “It’s relaxing in the morning and then a little feral at night,” she says. She tries to wake up around 9 a.m. (depending on how late she was out the night before) and walk to get a coffee. Then, she goes back to change into her bikini and lie out by the beach or pool. After lunch, she has one place she wants to be: “I would get on a boat in the afternoon,” Nader says. “It doesn’t have to be a yacht — it could even be a little tiny sailboat. If I’m on the water with music and a beer, I’m having the best time ever.”

Post boat, she goes home and decompresses before rallying for the night out. “Getting ready with friends is so much fun. Put on a cute outfit, listen to some music,” she says. Next comes dinner, followed by a second location. “I would go to a bar and get some stronger drinks and meet some local characters that we’ll talk about for the rest of our lives.”

Her Tips For Avoiding Drama

As one of four sisters, Nader knows a thing or two about navigating conflict on a girls trip. “Try your hardest not to because a fight on a trip can really make or break a whole friendship,” she says. Her No. 1 tip for keeping the peace? Try to avoid leaving people out of plans. “If you’re with a big enough group, it’s nice to do little one-off things — you and one of your friends could go get a coffee or go early to get the table. Just don’t buddy up and get cliquey with a couple of people, because then it really does start drama,” she says. “On spring break, that’s been the argument that my friends have, and I have gotten in — not being included.”

Your spring-break fling is not that deep. ... They’ll come back around.

If you want to have a spring-break romance, which Nader enthusiastically recommends (“Go for it — have a boyfriend of the trip”), just don’t ditch your friends for him. “You don’t want to spend every night with your spring-break fling. Maybe do one night, but it’s kind of rude for a time that’s supposed to be with your friends,” she says. Also, she cautions not to get too invested in a guy you just met. “Don’t make up stuff about how he’s going to text you later. He probably isn’t,” she says. “Your spring-break fling is not that deep. We’ve all had them. We’ve all lost them. They’ll come back around.”

Finally, a tip she wishes she could tell her 21-year-old self: “Do not lose your phone. Don’t. Do not, like ever.” She recalls one spring break when she lost her phone, then found it the next day, only to discover her sister’s boyfriend had cheated. Nader had been spending the morning chatting with him, none the wiser until she caught up on her texts. “I literally caused a whole scene in front of everyone. I slapped him in the face,” she says. “The mistake was losing my phone and not knowing about that sooner.”

How She’s Decompressing Back Home

After a packed vacation, Nader wants to come home and make up for the shut-eye she lost. “I think people really underestimate the power of sleep, especially my sisters,” she says. “If I get eight hours of sleep, I feel so refreshed and like myself again.” If she has time, she’ll hit up a cold plunge and sauna to sweat out any leftover toxins. “It will literally reset your whole mind, body, and soul.”

You’ll find her on the couch with her red-light therapy mask on, but don’t expect her to be lacing up sneakers to work out right away. “I wish I could say [I] go on a run, but that’s never something I do when I get right back home from vacation,” she says. “Red-light mask; do a sauna; go to sleep.”