There's a brief period between the transition from fall to winter where I have to question my love for the holiday season. What's so exciting about walking around in 5 layers of clothes while still freezing? But then, it happens again. The Christmas lights start to go up and the scent of pine lingers in the air wherever you go and suddenly the cold is worth it. I have always loved the holiday season which probably started from my personal fondness of receiving presents during Christmas time, however, my love for the season has been beginning to turn into something more.

As Christmas rolls around, it's no longer about just getting gifts from family members. Especially now that I'm four hours away from home, I look forward to Christmas so that I can see all the relatives that I've missed. I look forward to sharing a home cooked meal with my grandparents. I look forward to seeing the look on my cousin's face when she opens a gift she's been wanting for months. I look forward to spending New Years with my friend's binge-watching "Black Mirror" and staying up till dawn.

The holiday season has turned into a time of love for me— a time for me to spend time with those who I care about most. I cannot wait to go home for winter break and I'm not just saying that because it means finals will be over. I'm excited to decorate the tree with my parents and to bake Christmas cookies with my mom. Overall, the holiday season overwhelms me with feelings of joy that I find difficult to put into words. I think it is a very hard task to define the word love. If I were to take a try, though, I'd imagine it would embody how I feel about the holidays and all the festivities that come with them.