The magic of the holiday season marks the beginning of a magical time for college students; that magical time being breaks. While Halloween was technically the first big holiday we students came across in the school year, the celebration of it consisted of two long weeks of parties and struggling to find creative costume ideas (although let's be real, we all ended up going as aliens anyway). Thanksgiving is only about a five-day break, but for college students, it seems like the first breath in a marathon race. This first breath gives us the strength to sprint to the finish line, that finish line, of course, being that month and a half long slice of freedom, also known as winter break.

With Thanksgiving, it's more than just a break, but a legitimate taste of heaven. After months of dining hall food and late night ramen binges, the table set with cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes might as well be a table set with love and the promise of not having to experience stomach issues later.

Being able to shower without wearing shoes, to turn off the light in your room without asking permission from your roommate, and to go to bed without setting the alarm are all blessings that most students experience for the first time since August over Thanksgiving break. Having family, friends, and pets close by are all things that we students forgot we had, but now realize how much we missed. Around the first break, we start to realize how much we took for granted, which fits in perfectly with the holiday of realizing how much we have to be grateful for.

Thanksgiving break is more than just a time to sleep in and stuff one's stomach. Being able to sleep in your own bed and sit around a table of food is great, but what's really great is the fact that you're home. As said in every holiday jingle and tune, there truly is no place like home for the holidays, and at Thanksgiving, it's home for the holidays that is the absolute best when you're a college student.