This year at Carolina, I received my fair share of care packages from my parents. With the semester winding down and finals week among us, I received my final care package of the year, chock-full of fun snacks and notecards for studying. I go through this process about once every two weeks or so, so I thought I'd share how I feel:

1. You get an email or text that a package has arrived.

Everything after that in class is such a blur.

2. You start to rack your mind to figure out what you ordered.

But you end up using the tracking code and find out that it's from home.

3. You go to pick it up and there's a massive line.

It may feel like it will take forever, but you'll just be in line for 10 minutes or so.

4. You try and perfect your signature as the package center staff retrieves your package.

Those signature pads have seen so many different versions of your signature. Some days it's perfect cursive, others it's your first initial and a random squiggle.

5. And then you find out it's not one package but two!

It just keeps getting better.

6. When you can barely carry everything home.

You start to hope that you won't drop everything on the way home.

7. On your way home, you debate about ripping open the package then and there.

But then you decide to wait until you get home.

8. You make it home and finally open the box.

And you wonder how your parents were able to fit everything in the box.

9. You text your parents a thank you.

And you start to miss home a little more.

10. You start to use everything in the box.

Time to dig in to the box of oreos and break open those index cards to study for finals.

I may have received my final care package of the year, but it's a magical feeling when you open them up. Thanks, Mom and Dad!