This Christmas season is my first away from home in New York. Now, hundreds of miles away from home, I find myself perplexed by the stressful last weeks of the semester.

With books, notes, and review sheets taking up most of my mind, I barely have time to get ready for the most important day of the year--Christmas. Any thought of going home for winter break, spending time with my family and friends, and Christmas is easily pushed in the back of my mind during this time. I say to myself, "Let's get myself through the semester. Then, I can get excited about Christmas."

Although the way I've been preparing for Christmas this year is unlike anything I have ever known, I come from a place that is one of the top cities to travel to during the Christmas season--Manhattan, New York. In the hype of December, I cannot help but look up pictures of this year's Rockefeller Plaza tree and get excited to see it in person.

I realize, though, that a lot of my friends at college don't know what New York is like at all, especially during Christmas time. When they think of Christmas in New York, they only reference what they've seen in movies--Home Alone 2, Elf, etc. Their perspective is much different than mine, and a part of me wishes I could show them Christmas in New York City.

I am one of the few people who actually enjoy the tourist attractions in New York that fill with tourists from all over the world throughout the holiday season. Places such as Times Square, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Plaza, and Bryant Park are all specially decorated for Christmas, and even as a New Yorker, I find joy in witnessing the change in decor, scenery, and environment. To me, New York is so much more than what you are limited to seeing in a short film. New York is a lifestyle, and at Christmas, it is unlike anything you have ever seen in your life.

It's almost as if a different atmosphere fills the streets of Manhattan during the Christmas season.

Salvation Army bells ring, Christmas carols ranging from "Silent Night" to "All I Want for Christmas is You" are heard throughout the streets. Christmas-specific exhibits fill the windows of large stores such as Macy's. And although the already-crowded New York becomes more crowded, a brighter tone suddenly fills the air. It's probably because commuters and casual New Yorkers know which spots to hit and avoid at all costs during tourist season. Therefore, you have thousands of fewer people who yell at you, cut you off, or take your cab than usual. That's the greatest Christmas present a person visiting Manhattan for the first time could ever receive.

As the days inch closer and closer to Christmas, I realize that the question. "What do you want for Christmas?"has a simple and clear answer. For me, I want to be home this Christmas, surrounded by family, friends, and my favorite city in the world.