My first winter break at home was wonderful, but I cannot wait to get back to school! In my final 48 hours home, a lot has gone through my mind. Being home for a month is a bit strange, but I will be back soon enough. Home is kind of a temporary place, and school is a temporary place. As I sit on the couch in front of a gas fireplace, I think that I could stay in this very spot forever and just be comfortable. Then I think back to all the times I have already had at school with friends, I think that I cannot wait to get back to the place I love and am starting to call home. I love both, school and home. Here are the stages you go through during a break from school:

1. Angst when you remember why you now live three hours away

About two weeks into break I sensed that some of my friends were already getting sick of their families and wanted to be back at college. I can understand how this can happen, but I have not become annoyed at all. I love being home and actually think that the time away improved my relationship with my parents.

2. A moment of weakness

When you think to yourself what a comfortable bed you have and such a nice big shower, for a brief moment, you become a bit homesick. You think what a great life you have at home and start telling yourself that you can live at home forever with free and delicious meals.

3. Love for all your new friends

But then you look at your phone background and get all excited to see your besties again!

4. EXCITEMENT!

You become very excited for the upcoming semester and realize what a great place your school is! For some people, parents become especially intrusive in this stage because they realize that their babies are leaving the nest once again.

5. Overwhelming sense of everything you need to do

Making a list of all the things you need to do in the final days of being home is overwhelming. This includes catching up with about 10 friends and family members, eating at your favorite restaurants, ordering your textbooks, going to your favorite coffee shops, grocery shopping (actually, all shopping while you are still under your parents' thumb), laundry, and packing. You realize that you should actually have gotten out of bed and maybe socialized, not just with different casts on a backlit screen. You question where your life is headed. Oh gosh, the packing. You then crawl back into bed.

5. Buying textbooks makes you question all of your past purchases

Textbooks are much more pricey than you remember they were last semester. You question if you really need them all. You question all of your life decisions and regret not ignoring your urge for the love of avocados when told, "Guac is extra," by the smiling Chipotle chef.

6. Trying to fit all your everything back into the bags it came in

Yes, your clothing came home with you in three duffel bags; now how on earth are you going to get it all back in those duffels? I received Christmas presents and I bought Christmas presents for my friends. How are they going to fit? I will just need to bring another bag (or two or three) back to school. Also, food. I mean, I am totally going grocery shopping soon. This is where I really feel for the people flying to campus, bless your hearts and bag fees.

7. Losing and finding clothes

While packing, you realize that you will inevitably leave something important at home because, as you took stuff out of tote bags, it ended up somewhere in your room or in the laundry, or in a drawer, or in the bathroom. You think to yourself: "Did I actually need to bring this home? Did I even use this? What is this? Oh, I finally found that shirt."

8. Physically leaving your home

You can't believe you're actually pulling out of the driveway to travel back to campus. All the feels wash over you. You are super excited for the future! Everything all a sudden is perfect. You could say that you have a pocket full of sunshine.