Dear Winter Break,
We've been waiting for you ever since we started classes four months ago. It only got worse after Thanksgiving break, and we've been anxiously counting down the seconds until we get to go home. Not quite sure what took you so long to get here, but now that you've finally arrived, here's what we have to say.
Thank you for giving us a true break.
We made it through finals week. It was a stressful, endless, and tiring journey, but the mountains of papers, exams, and projects are done (for now), and we can finally relax for a month or so. Thanksgiving break is always too short, no matter what they say. You give us the critical time we need to de-stress and regroup before heading back to tackle spring semester.
Thank you for allowing us to see our families, friends, and pets.
We don't get much time to spend with our families while we're away at school. Thanks to you, we are able to get together with relatives and surround ourselves with the love only our families can give us. And we can't forget our pets, of course—we will happily snatch any chance we get to see (and obsess over) their adorable faces. Walking through the door to see that waggingtail will never get old, and it's something we really miss while we're away at school. You also allow us to reconnect and catch up with our old friends from high school. As much as we love our college friends, they just can't participate in the "Where are they now?" conversations and stories of people from home. Allowing us the precious time to see the most important people in our lives is a gift that is priceless.
Thank you for good food.
This one's pretty self-explanatory. Dining hall food never has been and never will be all that great. There's nothing like mom or dad's homemade meals and treats as well as leftovers galore to take back to school that will hold us over for a little bit. Plus food is always better around the holidays. Warm Christmas cookies? Yes, please!
Thank you for sleep.
Enough said. Not setting an alarm every day during the week is a true holiday miracle.
Thank you for reminding us how amazing our hometowns are.
We are so blessed to be able to return to such amazing places over winter break. Whenever we come back, we always feel welcomed and get giddy and excited as we take that familiar exit off the highway. Whether near or far, you give us time to fall back in love with where we grew up.
Thank you for making us want to go back to school.
At the end of our time home, we're usually pretty anxious to get back to school. Being home gets slightly less exciting after dealing with jobs, curfews, nagging parents, responsibilities, and all that other "adult" stuff. Don't get us wrong—we love our families and our homes, but returning to school and living with friends is pretty great, too. Seeing college friends after time apart reminds us how lucky we are to have met them and live with them. You make us realize that we really do have the best of both worlds: an amazing school and an even more amazing home that will always be there for us.
