Christmas Break is one of my favorite times of the year. It's the point of the year where we've hit mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion. We have no energy and no motivation left to speak of. But we get to take a month off to just spend doing anything that doesn't involve school. There's nothing better than just relaxing and being home with family. We have so much free time that sometimes we just don't know what to do with all it.

So instead we try to cram as much as we can with hometown friends and family into these four short weeks. There's just too many people to try to reconnect with during break that the list goes on and on. Not to mention doing everything you've missed at home while being away at school. If you're from the north like I am then you probably look forward to the snow related activities as much as I do. Ice skating, building snowmen, skiing.... need I say more?

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is picking out a Christmas tree. It's always a family tradition that includes a few too many fights over which tree is sufficient for our house, many pricked fingers from decorating the tree, and the final feeling of accomplishment once the entire has been decorated. There's nothing more satisfying than finishing decorating the tree and admiring your handiwork.... just to see it all being dismantled in a few short weeks.

Another favorite Christmas tradition is decorating the Christmas cookies. There's nothing better than homemade cookies cut into Christmas trees, stars, and candy canes. As messy as decorating can be, the mess is always worth the end result: a full stomach.

Not to mention that it's finally acceptable to listen to Christmas music... not that I haven't been listening to it anyways since the beginning of November. (Whoever thinks that Christmas music should only be allowed after Thanksgiving is just wrong. So wrong.) There's just something about Christmas music that puts everyone in a happy holiday mood. There's nothing better than singing loud for all to hear.

But by the end of break we're all ready to go home. As nice as it has been to have home cooked meals and no responsibilities for a month it all is just too good to be true. At this point we're all missing our college friends are very ready to be back at school where we don't have to ask permission to go anywhere and we are back on our own schedules. Being with family is great but you can only answer the same life questions so many times before it gets old. So college here I come!