The holidays are quickly approaching and I cannot wait to start spreading holiday cheer! First there’s Thanksgiving and then comes Christmas with all of the Christmas music and lights that brighten my day, and then comes the new year! A lot has happened in 2016 for me and I hope 2017 brings even more great things. So far throughout the year; I have won an ice hockey championship with many of my friends, I won a leadership award (Tammy Hochrein Sportsmanship Award), I ended my high school softball career on a high note, I watched my sister get married, I went to my last prom, I graduated high school, and I started college. So many things have happened throughout this past year and I am so grateful to have been a part of every single moment. I have made so many memories that I never want to forget (except for the bad ones because they suck). Coming into college was a big transition and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of my friends and family. In a few short weeks, after studying twenty-four-seven in the library for my finals, I’ll be able to go home and see everybody that I love and care about (not that I don’t care about my friends in college because I do) for the holidays!

The holiday season is such a special time for me and I find myself getting more and more homesick. Thanksgiving is where most of my family comes to my house and we all eat a huge dinner and tell embarrassing stories all night long. Then there is Christmas where we basically do the same thing, but there is a little more holiday cheer. Every Christmas Eve me and my family watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and eat popcorn on the couch. All of Christmas day we listen to Christmas music until everyone else arrives to open presents. It’s weird that a few holidays can bring together so many people, but I love the way everyone feels and how much joy there is. All of this might sound cliché, but I truly love everything the holidays have to offer (except for buying Christmas presents because I am a broke college student). I love the spirit of it all and I love how close I feel to my family and friends.