From the time school starts, everyone counts down the days till the next break. As a college student, I get teased with Thanksgiving break as I wait for the six week long Christmas break. Each semester has its ups and downs. We find new friends and get rid of the bad. We get a few good grades that we tell our parents about and leave out the ones that weren’t so hot. We have the weekends we will remember for the rest of our lives and others that we will never recall. All in all college is a mess, and after a semester of it, we are ready to head back home.

It doesn't matter if it is a two-minute drive or two-hour flight, the moment you get home for Christmas break is the moment we all live for. The first thing you might do is cuddle with your dog or jump into your bed you have had for 10 years, but all of that is what you are supposed to do. Christmas break saves our souls, saves us from all the drama we just went through and saves our bodies from all the things we shouldn’t have done. But we can’t forget about the most important heroes of our break, friends and family.

In college, you have your friends that you see and talk to every day, but when Christmas break comes around the whole list of names on your recent messages list changes. Getting to see and catch up with all of the best friends that you don't get to see during the semester gives you a warm feeling that is very comforting. We get to tell millions of funny stories and we get to remind each other why our best friends from home will never be able to compare to others.

Family, on the other hand, is slightly different. Younger siblings are reminded that you are part of the family as they don’t get everything like they did when you were gone. Luckily, other times you spend hours making fun of each other and challenging them to things just like the good ole days. Then there are the parents, they love and miss you just as much as you miss them. They love (sometimes hate) the stories you tell them from college, and appreciate every moment you sit at home rather than go out with your friends. Mom tends to cook more, and Dad enjoys sitting there with a grin trying to tell you to clean up the dishes, but moments like this save us from the past semester where at the end we were too overwhelmed to control ourselves.

To say the least, Christmas break helps replenish our hearts and souls. It prepares us for the upcoming semester. It lets you wind down and remember why you got tricked into going to college.

So, thank you to everyone involved in my break. I needed you more than you know, and don’t be shocked when you see me screaming of joy for summer.