If I had a nickel for every time I've heard someone say "Ugh I can't wait for winter break" then I'd probably have a whole $2. But hey, that's still 40 times and that's in the past week since we returned from Thanksgiving break. Even though every one's super excited, I can't be more un-excited to spend 44 days somewhere other than Towson. Disclaimer: I love my family very much and I'm excited to see them. However, they're also only an hour away and I just saw them at Thanksgiving. While a time when my mind isn't spinning with projects and exams and papers (oh my!) sounds nice, I have my reasons for not being excited to go home. In fact, here's 10 of them!

1. I won't be able to have everything I need in walking distance

Want food? Walk there. Wanna hang at my friend's place? Walk there. Need to buy some chapstick? Walk there. I can be there in half an hour tops if I'm walking slow. Not the case when I go home.

2. I'll legitimately gain the Freshman 15

The Freshman 15 doesn't apply to me, as I live on one side of campus with pretty much anywhere I need to go on the other side. I'll get my 10,000 steps in without thinking twice. So the fact that I won't be walking anywhere, and I'd even have to take a car to the gym means I'll gain a couple pounds while I'm home.

3. I have to share the car

I get by just fine without having a car at school. Last year I had my own car and everything was fine and dandy. However, now my family has four drivers and three cars. Don't get me wrong, I realize I'm very lucky to have at least half a car, but coordinating with my family any time I want to leave the house when I didn't have to do so before is exhausting.

4. I have to share a bathroom with my younger sister

Whenever my sister takes a shower, the bathroom floor is somehow always flooded. There's nothing worse than a wet sock, and I get them whenever I go into the bathroom.

5. I no longer have any claim over my room or clothes

Ever since I've left, my room has been an area of battle between my mom and my sister. My mom recognizes that my room is mine whenever I come home, but each time I come home my sister tries to kick me out. The bed, bean bag, full length mirror, and clothes that once belonged to me are now seen as her possessions, and not only am I forced to fight for what's mine, I'm not allowed to borrow anything from her.

6. I have nothing to do

I am rarely bored at school. And when I am, I always have a friend to text to hang out with me so that we can be bored together. Now I don't have any homework to do, I was able to get a job but it's subbing so there's no telling when/how much I work, and I won't have fun free floor events or a capella concerts to attend. And if I want to go somewhere, I'll have to figure out the car situation.

7. I'll need to prepare my own food

I am very lazy. I like salads, but I'll never have them at home due to the fact that I don't want to prepare it. That's why I love having a salad bar at each dining hall. Eating healthy while being lazy. I don't always eat salads though. I have my fair share of unhealthy dining hall food and sometimes when the dining hall's closed or am too lazy to leave my building, I'll whip up my specialty: microwavable kraft mac n cheese. While I'll definitely bring some of the mac n cheese home, it doesn't change the fact that I'll have to prepare a good amount of my meals. And of course we can't forget the many dishes I'll have to wash.

8. I will be judged for eating a roll of raw cookie dough or leaving the house in my minion slippers

If I ask my home roommate (aka my mom) if I can eat a roll of cookie dough and I'll get a lecture on how unhealthy it is. If I ask my college roommate if I could eat the roll of cookie dough instead of baking it with her, the answer is "only if I can have some too!" Same thing goes with slippers out of the house. My old roommate (mom) would not let me out of the house. And in the case she wasn't home and I wore my pajamas to the grocery store I probably got some judgy stares (even though I didn't really care, I was comfy). If I wear my minion slippers to the dining hall or even to class I get so many compliments, and everyone will comment how jealous they are that they aren't rocking my look.

9. I have a longer break than my high school friends

Lots of people are excited to see their high school friends at winter break. Don't get me wrong, I am too. However, it will be exactly three weeks from when I saw them at Thanksgiving to when I come home for winter break. Also some friends have a quarter system where they get thanksgiving through the new year off. Most friends go back in early January. I don't have classes until January 29th. And between when breaks are and who's going on vacation, we don't really overlap too much. Also they aren't a walking distance away.

10. I'll really miss my college friends

While reasons 1-9 are very good reasons, all of them combined aren't as important as this one. I am so lucky to have made such incredible friends at Towson, and I don't know how I'm gonna survive 44 days without them. (The answer is I won't. I'm probably going to visit them all the time). As excited I am to be able to spend 44 days with my family (and more importantly my dog) I'm not looking forward to break because that means saying goodbye to my Towson family.