Around 80% of my Facebook friends hit the beach this break. I could have been there with them—lounging by the pool in Naples, catching a tan in Puerto Rico, sipping a Bloody Mary on the sands of Panama City Beach. Instead, I traded bikinis and hotel keys for my mom’s new sweater and the garage clicker and returned home to the nothing-special suburbs. My friends couldn’t believe I gave up a week of paradise to sit around the house, but I could not have made a better decision. Here is why:
1. Sleeping on a real mattress: Freshman year, Bed Bath & Beyond made those egg-crate pads out to be like a Tempurpedic, and after three years of sleeping on one, I’ll take any opportunity to sleep on a real mattress.
2. Home cooked meals: As someone living off pasta and Lean Cuisines, you could bribe me with any dish labeled “home-made”. At least those are the last words my mom said before I booked my flight home.
3. Real-time television: For the first Tuesday since Season 1, I did not have to block my social media accounts to avoid stumbling on Pretty Little Liars spoilers. It would be more convenient to have spring break next week so Twitter won’t reveal the finale before I can download it from iTunes, but beggars can’t be choosers.
4. High school friends: My home friends and I are all at schools scattered across the Eastern Time zone, but we are only able to all get together twice a year and this week is one of them. Even though the last time was only a few months ago, I know the next time I may be able to see them, one may have joined the Peace Corps or run away to Venice, so it’s important to cherish the time we have now.
5. Family: No matter how close I am with my family, none of them ever bother to come to Pittsburgh. It’s my job to come to them, which makes sense considering they all live within an hour radius of one another. Since I’m not coming home over Carnival weekend, now seems like a good time to pop back in.
6. Pajama Attire: Honestly, I have been wearing pajamas all week. At least they are not the same pair.