Read on to find out what some of our writers have planned for the upcoming break!
Carolyn: This winter I am very excited to be living and working in San Diego, California for five weeks! My brother lives there, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to see if it’s somewhere I’d want to live after school. I’m definitely a fan of the weather! I’ve done lots of Airbnb searching this semester, but I finally found a place that I think will be a good fit. I’m hoping my experience as a barista on campus will help me get a similar job when I get there. Thankfully, my abroad program does not start until late February, so I can pursue this exciting opportunity. It seems far away now, but knowing this is awaiting me after finals is definitely motivational. Have a great break everyone!
San Diego, California
Vivi: For my winter break I will be spending half my time in Miami (home) and half in Los Angeles. Back home, I cannot wait to go to the beach every other day (the water is calling my name). I will definitely be visiting some family members, especially admiring how big the babies of the family have gotten. After some time in Miami, I will travel with a friend to Los Angeles and stay with a couple of friends. It’s my first time on the west coast so I’m really excited, especially because I will be getting an inside tour/scoop of Laguna Beach — years of watching The Hills will finally pay off!
Miami, Florida
Los Angeles, California
Francesca: I don’t have any particularly special plans for this winter break, but I am most definitely looking forward to days in my PJs watching movies and drinking hot apple cider. My goal is to watch as many holiday movies as I can before it’s too late. I will hopefully also travel to NYC at some point to admire all of the lights and shops and maybe see a show while I’m there too!
NYC at Christmas-time
Ana: There aren’t any special kinds of plans I have for winter break. I’ll be traveling back home to Chicago, where I plan on sleeping, eating food that wasn’t made in a dining hall, not wearing flip flops in the shower, catching up with all of my favorite Netflix shows (still haven’t seen season 2 of Stranger Things, so that’s first on the list!) and reading all the books I haven’t had the time to this semester. I’m extremely excited to be with my family and not in New London, CT. I’m also currently in the process of getting a job to work at over the break, so I can make some money on the side. My flight’s booked, and now I just have to make it through these next two weeks.
Chicago, Illinois
Kiely: I cannot wait to spend time with family over the break. My family always separates our Christmas celebrations over the course of about five different gatherings, during which we celebrate with various groups of family and friends, but best of all there are always lots of home-made goodies to devour! I also can not wait to walk my dog through our neighborhood at night and see all of the holiday lights. I am also studying abroad in Cork, Ireland this semester, but my program starts the first week of January, so for the first winter break in awhile I will not be working as an intern at an immigration law firm in downtown Boston.
Cork, Ireland
Sarah: I am looking forward to going home over break. I can’t wait to spend time with my family and see some friends I haven’t seen since the summer. I don’t have any specific plans, but I’m going to try to cook and bake more because you have to take advantage of the opportunity to make good food when you can! As for the holidays, I’m excited to get my tree and decorate it, listen to and sing carols, spend time with family, and eat lots of good food! Can’t wait to ring in the new year and send off 2017 with a bang!
holiday baking <3
Hana: There are so many things I am looking forward to this winter break! I can’t wait to be back home with my friends and family, go for long walks on the beach with my dog, and catch the sunrises in the morning. I am also looking forward to get in the Christmas mood; I already planned to bake cookies with my mom and go to a Christmas market the day I get back! However, Christmas Eve dinner is probably what I am looking forward to the most. In my family we have duck, and it is my favorite. For New Years I have plans with some of my good friends from grade school who I haven’t seen in awhile, so I look forward to catching up with them and watching the fireworks. Later in the break, my best friend and I will be going to Dublin in early January. I have never been, so I am really looking forward to that too!
Dublin, Ireland
Ann: I’m going home to Seattle, Washington for the first two weeks of break and I can’t wait! I haven’t been home since August, so it will be great to see everyone (and sleep in my own bed!). I’m also going to nanny a couple of times so I can be slightly less broke when I come back to school! After going home, I’ll spend about 3 weeks traveling around Thailand and Vietnam. I have been dying to visit Southeast Asia for years now, and I can’t believe it’s finally happening! Plus, one of my best friends from boarding school lives in Vietnam, so I get to stay with her for a few days. I’m a travel addict, but hopefully I can get some of that out of my system over break, so I can come back to school ready to work!
Seattle, Washington
Map of Southeast Asia