Here I am, a first-semester freshman, and nobody warned me about the emotional rollercoaster that is Thanksgiving Break. Take this day-by-day playback as a cautionary tale.

Tuesday was excitement.I knew that as soon as my classes ended at 12:15, my mom would be there to pick me up and I would be going home. The holidays were going to start, no school assignments, lots of food, and lots of sleep. I was so excited for it all, and although I knew I would miss my friends like crazy, I was still excited to be home. Plus, MY DOG. Tuesday was mainly excitement because I GOT TO SNUGGLE MY DOG!

Wednesday was relaxation. I slept in, it was gorgeous outside, the promise of food was the next day, I didn't have a care in the world. I told myself this day would be my homework day, but of course I had to make some cookies first. And watch some television. And take a nap. I eventually got a little bit of work done, but the entire day was lazy. I don't think I even took off my pajamas all day, but it was acceptable because it was Thanksgiving Break. Wednesday was the perfect rest from the craziness of school.

Thursday was insanity. THANKSGIVING DAY! Thursday was literally the antithesis of Wednesday. If Wednesday was drizzle, Thursday was a hurricane (or whatever that John Green quote is, I think you get the gist). I got up early to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but not early enough to run my neighborhood's Turkey Day 5K. I watched the parade and prepared myself for the day ahead. About 30 people were going to be at my house in a matter of hours, and I definitely was not ready for it. I decided to go for a run as soon as the parade was over, then I got back and had to look a little bit presentable. After showering, doing my hair and makeup, and putting on a cute dress, I went downstairs to help with the food. My best friend and her family got there early. SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE ALREADY. The rest of the day was insane, but full of love and full of food. I answered a MILLION questions about school, my major, and what exactly I want to "do" with that major after I graduate. Everyone was super interested in my writing. I neglected to tell them that they would most likely be written into my next Odyssey article. Hey family! I had a great time with you guys! Thanks for being so interested in my school life! Needless to say, I slept well on Thursday night.

Friday was subtle anxiety. The holiday was over, and I knew that Sunday was quickly approaching. This was the day I actually got a lot of homework done, to my surprise. Think of Friday as Wednesday, but with 10x more pressure to actually get your stuff done. Of course, with my stress baking, I had to make lemon bars in between two assignments I was working on. Also, for some reason, I think I ate more on Friday than I ate on actual Thanksgiving. That definitely didn't help the subtle anxiety. We did go see some Christmas lights though, so that was fun. I love how it immediately becomes Christmas the second Thanksgiving ends.

Saturday was anticipation. I was burned out. I missed my friends. I wanted to go back. I went for a run, did homework, took pictures, and ate sushi. I was SO EXCITED to get back on campus the next day and see my friends, sleep in my dorm bed, and sit in the library and do homework (I know, that sounds like a line, but I really was excited to just get back in my little groove that I created this semester). Thinking about getting back on campus made my heart flutter. The only thing that got in the way of the anticipation was having to pack, but that was inevitable. Packing sucks.

Sunday was nondescript. Well, I should say Sunday IS nondescript. I'm not really sure how to feel today, mainly because I remembered that I have two presentations to give this week. I'm still super excited to be back on campus, I just have to get through those presentations. I also have a lot of homework that I put off over break, but at least I have clean laundry, a clean room, and friends waiting for me!

So that's Thanksgiving Break in a little, emotional nutshell. So much happened this break, and so much is going to happen in this last week and a half before finals. I'm just so ready for Christmas, let's do this. Finish strong.