Studying abroad in the fall has its perks. I can finally see snow and leaves changing--a big thing for a Florida girl. But, I will sacrifice spending the holiday season with my family. I don't go back to the States until January, so from now until then let me wallow in self-pity. Here are some thoughts I'll have during this time and some things I've already started experiencing.
1. Missing your dog more than anything.
If you know me, you know why this is the first point. I'm constantly asking my mom to send me pictures of my dog and her shenanigans. My dog is the best creature to ever exist. I'll miss singing "Jingle Bells" to her and dressing her up in ugly Christmas sweaters. Yet, as soon as I go home, I'm still going to do those things to her, so she better be ready for all of the festivities.
2. Trying to be super productive while everyone is relaxing.
At least I'll be able to get everything done while all of my friends are at home relaxing. That way I can stay ahead of the game and enjoy myself before finals hit and the new semester starts. But, I am the procrastination queen, so we will see how well this works.
3. Getting sad looking at pictures.
The pictures will hurt the worst. Seeing everyone having a good time and not being able to hear the gossip or the funny stories will be painful. Pictures will inevitably leave the biggest impact on me. Instead, I will sit and drink a hot chocolate while the sun sets at 3:30 p.m.
4. Craving all of the holiday foods.
I hate turkey. However, not being able to go home on Thanksgiving makes me crave turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing when I could care less about those foods every other day during the year. But, I'm not going to lie, I can always eat some of those Pillsbury crescent rolls.
5. Having no money but wishing to participate in Black Friday shopping.
I'm on a strict budget, but when Target emails me those Black Friday ads I can't help but add a few items to my online cart. I know shipping to the UK will cost a million dollars, but its the time of year, am I right?
6. Face-timing your family.
Thanks to modern technology, I can join my family for Thanksgiving and Christmas. But, I still have school so all of my happiness will be sucked out of me.
7. Doing an essay and thinking about how you could be relaxing instead.
Again, I'll be doing homework and finals during most of this time of the year. Most likely, I'll be in the middle of an essay and I'll have a crisis thinking about how I could be watching Christmas movies and baking cookies with my mom.
8. Checking your countdown until you can see your fam.
I never thought much about how long I've been away until I realized the holidays were slowly approaching. I've set up countdowns until the exact minute I go home, and I know on Christmas I'll be checking it every hour. Only 1 month, 17 days, 23 hours, 10 minutes, and 15 seconds until my dog and I are reunited!
9. Knowing that this is exactly where you're supposed to be right now.
Despite missing home and my family like crazy, I know wouldn't want to be anywhere else. This semester has treated me amazingly, and I've been able to live my dreams. Instead, I'll be listening to "I'll Be Home For Christmas" a thousand times to get me through this period, and when I reunite with my family it'll be all the more special!