College is great don't get me wrong, but I do love going home for the holidays. Here are five joys I find in going home for the holidays:

1. seeing your family

Being away from home for 4 months might seem like no problem at the beginning of the year, but despite how independent you are, seeing your family is always a nice treat. Personally, I look forward to going home and experiencing the traditions that I have had with my family since I was young. College is great but I also enjoy quality time with my family without the worries of school work. I love sitting in the living room or around the dinner table and sharing laughs together. No matter how many FaceTime calls I've had with my family over the last four months, nothing beats seeing them in person.

2. seeing your pets

The pure joy that you experience when you walk in the door and your pets run up and greet you is unbeatable. I find that being away from my animals is harder than any part of college. When the stress of school, work, and life gets to be too much, I want nothing more than to cuddle with my puppies. The best part is when you get home, no matter how long you've been gone, they're just as excited to see you as before you left.

3. seeing your friends

Although the friends we have made at school are great and have easily become a huge part of our lives, no one can replace our pre-college friends. No matter how distant I may feel from my friends, as soon as I am home we pick up right where we left off. It's great to see our friends over the holidays because we see how much they have accomplished and grown into themselves in the four month separation.

4. sleeping in your own bed

I must admit, my bed at school is much more comfortable than my bed at home but I still find joy in going back to my uncomfortable twin bed at home. I don't know what it is about it. Maybe it's the familiarity of it, or maybe just another reminder that I am in fact home. Whatever the reason, I always find myself getting some of the best sleep in my bed at home

5. homemade food

I don't know what the cafeteria is like at other schools but the food at my school is especially terrible. At home, we have the option of fresh food or the option to make whatever we want. Being home for the holidays is great because we get to eat all of our favorite recipes we've been missing over the last 4 months. No matter what food we get at home, it is definitely better than whatever the cafeteria at school has to offer.