While everyone else was enjoying their vacations back in the comfort of their parents homes or laying on the beach in Mexico, I was stuck here in Murray. I didn’t go anywhere or do anything extravagant. I worked..a lot! I was working forty hours a week, every week. It was definitely a boring winter break, but, with all of the time I had, I was really able to focus on myself, which was much needed.
Photo courtesy of myself
- The gains ~ I was able to go to the gym, and actually enjoy it, since all of the other college students were away. I basically had the entire gym to myself, which really allowed me to focus on myself and not have anxiety because other people were there. I created a workout plan for each day and taught myself all of the machines. This was especially nice because now that school has started, I already have a routine and I am able to stick to it since I have been doing it for a while now. The gym has become an outlet for my stress and I look forward to working out every day.
- The purge ~ Who else has an overflowing closet with clothes they never wear? I know I do! Over break, I had plenty of time to completely purge my closet. It took a few days but I finally finished it. I took out every item of clothing and if I hadn’t worn it in the past few months, I put it in a pile. I had two piles: sell and donate. I was able to purge half of my closet, which I have not done in so long!
- The cooking ~ With so much time on my hands, I was starting to get bored and when I am bored, I eat. Since I was trying not to eat fast food as much, I decided to start cooking. My boyfriend is usually the one to cook dinner but I wanted to be able to have dinner ready for us by the time he got home. I started cooking dinner with Hello Fresh, which is a food service that delivers the entire meal to your door. Since I don’t know how to cook, this was perfect for me, because it had step by step instructions that were very easy to follow! I am now able to find recipes and do it myself at home, without the help of Hello Fresh.
- The books ~ I love to read but when school is in, I don’t have the time to read leisurely. I re-read Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur because it is one of my favorite books. My boyfriend got me Depression and Other Magic Tricks by Sabrina Benaim for Christmas and it is amazing! Reading these empowering books has really gotten me into the right mindset for 2019.
- The saving ~ Since I didn’t go anywhere, I didn’t spend any money! Being able to save was one of the best perks of staying in Murray over break. I didn’t go out to eat or go to the bar much, so the only time I spent a lot of money was for Christmas. Saving during the semester can be really hard. I can’t work as much and all of the bills really start to add up, so getting a head start was one of the best things I could do for myself.
- The quality time ~ During the semester I have absolutely no time to spend time with my boyfriend. Between class, work, clubs and sorority, I am busy 90% of the time and the other 10% is spent sleeping. I was able to spend so much time with my boyfriend and it really felt like we re-connected. We had dates, binged Greys Anatomy with our face masks on and just had fun together. The time with him was much needed and he really helped me have a relaxing and fun break.
Image courtesy of myself
It wasn’t a crazy, memorable winter break but I really have been able to focus on myself and get what I needed done. My closet is clean and de-cluttered, my cooking is slowly getting better and my mental and physical health are finally improvivng. My uneventful winter break allowed me to focus on all aspects of myself, so I couldn’t have asked for a better break.