Ah, winter break. Finals are finally over, campus clears out, and your family and friends await your arrival back at home. The holiday feeling is in the air, and all of the realities of home have yet to hit you during the car ride. You've yet to have the painful conversations with family members, like how your love life is going, telling them for the third time since Thanksgiving what your roommate's name is, and having to laugh and smile when they ask you why your GPA is a 3.8 and not a 4.0, meanwhile you're wondering how you even did as well as you did. But it won't be so bad seeing your friends you haven't seen in a while, and not having to do an ounce of schoolwork. Every college student who has come home for winter break has experienced at least some of these best and worst moments.
One of the worst parts of being home on break is not being free to do what you please. What are rules and how did we ever follow them before? This includes everything from sleeping in as late as you want, to your meal choices, and when you go out, along with how long you stay out.
There's nothing more frustrating than not being able to figure out what to do, and when you've been home for so long and seen all of your friends already, you begin to wonder how you ever lived home and had things to do all of the time. There are only so many trips one can make to the mall and Dunkin' Donuts, along with drives around town. At school, somehow, the boredom is more tolerable, and there's seemingly always something to do.
Being away from your roommate is harder than you may realize, and you'll miss having someone to report back to, as well as your go to lunch/dinner date, movie date, and party person. Also, if you don't live close to your significant other, you'll find yourself missing the usual of seeing each other daily.
There's nothing more weird than trying to figure out how much you need to bring home, and having to live out of a suitcase in your own bedroom. Always managing to overpack, and never wearing half of what you bring home almost seems like a waste, but you never know! Also, after the holiday season, there are always tons of new things that have to be brought back to school. Bottom line --
being a guest in your own home is certainly an odd feeling.
While we're experiencing all of these oddities of being home, it is also said that home is where the heart is. For instance, everyone greets you warmly. Whether it's your family when they pick you up, or the cashier at your local food store, you're certainly welcomed back home.
Returning home means returning to a regularly-functioning bathroom, a shower with enough hot water, and home cooked meals that won't result in hunger two hours after eating dinner, and if you do, at least you have access to a fully stocked fridge. Home means a nice comfortable bed to sleep in -- one that doesn't require a step-stool -- and good quality WiFi to continue your Netflix binges.
It's always good to see your family, and the first family meal catching up on everything that was just too good to share over the phone will feel like old times. There is no better feeling than seeing your pet for the first time when you arrive home. Cuddling on the couch is first on your to do list, and even if they don't show it, you know they missed you too.
The first day you see your best friend from home is always a good day, and you'll wonder how you went so long just texting them the details of your life. It's been such a long time since you've seen each other that you'll just settle for sitting down talking with one another's families because you're finally together again.
When you go away at school, it becomes a second home to you, and leaving will become hard. Winter break is a nice chunk of time between semesters, but it's always good to get back into your routines at school. That doesn't mean you won't miss home though!
