As the end of finals approaches, some of us may be having mixed feelings about going home for the holidays. While the idea of being home sounds nice, some of us may be feeling like break is too long or like we don't want to deal with our family bombarding us with questions about school and our personal lives. In order to soothe your mind, here are 8 reasons why going home for the holidays is awesome!
8) Change of Scenery
After spending an entire semester in one place for the most part, it’s nice to go back to your roots and revisit your hometown. It’s a nice, much needed, and much deserved change of pace! *cue Adele’s Hometown Glory*
7) No Responsibilities
I think it’s safe to say after spending a semester at school balancing course work, a job, extracurricular activities, sleep, and a social life – it’s the best feeling ever to go home and know that you have little to no responsibilities. Maybe your parents will nag you to clean your room and do the dishes every once in a while, but aside from that? You get a 6 week break that requires little to no energy.
6) Visit your Childhood Spots
My favorite part of going back home is always going back to all of the old places my friends and I used to hang out at. Whether it’s ashamedly scarfing down a McFlurry in a McDonald’s parking lot or revisiting that cliff that allows you to see your whole town in all of its glory – it’s always nice to feed into that nostalgia every now and then to appreciate how much you’ve changed since then.
5) Catch up on TV Shows
If you’re like me and cannot schedule in your TV shows in the midst of all your other responsibilities, it’s always nice to be able to relax and binge watch all of your shows and play catch up. Finally, you’ll be able to discuss all of the plots with your friends without worrying about spoilers.
4) Food is “Free”
Well, someone is paying for it, but it’s for sure not you! Whether you’re getting home-cooked meals or take out or just snacking – it’s usually coming out of your parents’ wallet. Goodbye to the days when you had to live off ramen noodles and toast because that’s all you could afford…well, at least temporarily.
3) Save Money
This goes hand in hand with #4, but along with saving money on food, you are also saving money on your bills, lyft, uber, postmates, grocery shopping, etc. This break where I don’t have to constantly be spending makes me feel truly ble$$ed.
2) Driving
If you’re like me and go to school in a major city, you might not have your car with you because 1) parking is expensive/impossible 2) gas prices are more expensive and 3) there is public transportation. However, I love driving, so when I go home and get behind the wheel again, it’s a much welcome change of pace.
1) Catch up with Loved Ones
Finally, the most obvious reason why the holidays at home are so wonderful, you get to catch up with all of your loved ones. Whether you’re 30 miles away from home or 3,000, the fact that you’re away at school means you naturally don’t get to see your friends and family as much. It’s nice to go home and get together with your old friends to see how everyone is doing, and it’s nice to be surrounded by the unique and unconditional love that your family provides you.
As we all move into finals mode, I hope you all keep your eyes on the prize and remember that break is just a couple of weeks away! Soon, we will all be able to relax and not worry about a thing…until next semester. And for those of you who are graduating, good luck with the real world! We’ll see you on the other side.
