All too often I hear the dreaded question..."What are you planning to do this break?", to which I respond with a heavy sigh, and a muddled, "Oh, you know...hang with family, work a little, but just relax!" My friend, awkward from the anti-climactic answer, hesitantly shares her arrangements for a week skiing in the family lodge up north, a week down south soaking up the sun, followed by a week shopping in the city.
Whoops. Is my break not exciting enough?
If you're like me, you enjoy these little joys in life from an average holiday break.
1. The celebratory reunion with your best friend from home.
Sure, you Snapchat them daily, and FaceTime them whenever possible, but it's totally not the same until she's in your house, sitting on your couch, eating your food, and petting your dog. The first second you're back in town you immediately contact your other half so you can go back to your typical bonding rituals with them.
2. The needed post-finals hibernation.
Let's face it, the week before finals sucks, the week of finals sucks, and you're exhausted. The only solution is to curl up in your own bed and sleep until your parents start to wonder if you've disappeared. You might only show up to family functions if food's involved, and you'll rush right back to your cave to relax, cuddle with your dog, or sleep. But you definitely deserve it after the testing terror you just experienced.
3. Losing track of time catching up on Grey's Anatomy, Breaking Bad, or Walking Dead.
With all the finals prep you crammed lately, you haven't made time for the important stuff: Netflix. You totally biiiiinge come Christmas break, because.....well, you don't have papers, you're a little bored, and honestly, you just want to. And you know what? You should binge without regret.
4. Finally getting those delicious home-cooked meals.
No dining hall food begins to compare to your grandmother's homemade Italian dishes or your mom's mac and cheese. Your family has been waiting for you to come home so they can feed you, because they probably think your college isn't feeding you as well as they should, so naturally you pig out. Calories don't exist over break, right?
5. Reuniting with the embarrassing items you couldn't bring to school.
Nobody wants to come to college with the five Pillow Pets they grew to adore through middle and high school. Now you're in the comfort of your own home, without your roommate to snap goofy and embarrassing photos of you cuddling with stuffed animals. You let out your inner child, mainly because college has turned you into an emotional mess.
6. Pretending to enjoy "wintry weather"
Let's be honest...you buy the cute scarf with the matching hat and gloves, and plan cute winter events like iceskating, sledding, or skiing. You step outside, pose for an Insta pic, and realize that it's really freaking cold and you go back inside....because it's really freaking cold. Hot cocoa and fireplaces soon become your best friends. Cherish them. Stay inside.
7. Attending holiday events with the family.
You love your family, sure! They're the absolute best. But...sometimes they're too much. Their pestering questions begin to annoy you, socializing is hard, and you eventually only desire isolation. Why do I only miss my family so much when I'm at least 200 miles away?
8. Holiday cookies, candy, sweets....did I say cookies?
The holiday season is the best time to eat treats, because they're literally everywhere. For me, anything type of dessert my Nana makes triumphs over any dessert offered in the Dining Hall. You don't say no to any cookie, piece of cake, or pie put in front of your face. Why say no? It's the holidays.
9. Christmas. Presents.
Even though it's totally immature, getting gifts is exciting. Christmas morning brings out my inner six-year-old self, and I brim with anticipation to give and receive every single present. Just remember that giving is just as important as getting!
10. Feeling the intense anticipating of going back to school, catching up with friends, and telling them all about your completely awesome and average holiday break.
Finally, after almost four weeks of being away from campus, you start to get a little homesick for your second home. You miss going out with your friends, sitting in Starbucks, and hanging out in the library pretending to do work. You text them everyday over break, because you need to keep updated on everything that happens in their lives. When you go back to campus, everyone says they hate to be back, and wish they were still home, but you know the truth: everyone's so happy to be back with the friends that have become family at college.
