Something I've heard since the start of my first semester at college was that I would be dying to go back to school by the end of winter break.

This prediction mostly came from professors, family members, and older college students. While I am excited to see my friends from school again, I still don't quite understand what everyone was talking about. I've talked to people who say the last two weeks of break are dreadful and they would do anything to go back earlier. I can't say that I feel the same.

I love my friends at school, I'm excited for my classes next semester, I get along great with my roommates, and the food is pretty good, but that doesn't mean I'm going to brush off the amazing month I get to spend with my friends and family at home.

The most difficult part of going to school in the fall was saying goodbye to my friends at home. I think this was because I knew not much would change between my family and I, and I knew I would love school, but you can never predict how your relationships with friends will change when you go away.

This uncertainty terrified me. When you're in high school, you take your friends for granted. You don't have to wonder when you'll see each other again, and you always know how they're doing. Once you're in college that all changes. Going into the spring semester, I realized that I wont see some of my friends for another five or six months.

This realization showed me how important winter break is, and how grateful I am that I got to spend a month with my home-friends.

I don't know what changes after the first winter break that makes people so eager to go back to school. This was only my first break, so it's safe to say there are plenty of people who know better than I do, but I can't imagine getting to a point where I am ready to leave my friends again after a week or two.

I love that instead of having to plan ahead just to make a phone call I can just text them and within twenty minutes we're doing something together. Even if we're just relaxing in someone's living room, every bit of time we get together is special because we realize that soon we have to head our separate ways again.

So before you run back to campus, turn around and look at what you're running away from. Within the next few years life is going to change dramatically. People are going to get internships that might be in a different city, or someone's parents might decide to pick up and move to a state fourteen hours away. So spend time with your friends, go to your favorite restaurants, watch your favorite movies, and just enjoy each other's company while you're still in the same area code.