Everyone can pretty much agree with the fact that being home for the holidays is a lot more than just relaxing and seeing old friends. Being home for the holidays reboots your mindset and prepares you for yet another semester of non-home cooked meals and nights spent sleeping without your dog by your side.
1. One word: FOOD
By December, chances are you are beyond sick of Linda’s salads and 63’s sub-par chicken patties. The second you walk in the door for winter break, you know your mom will have your favorite meal in the oven followed by your favorite question: “I’m going to the grocery store tomorrow. What do you want?” You’ve heard this question in your dreams for the past three weeks, and you could not be more excited about the full fridge in your future.
2. Friends
From good times to bad times, annoying roommates to ex boyfriends, your hometown crew has seen it all and has always had your back near and far. There is nothing like coming home to the friends that you’ve known since preschool, reminiscing about old times and creating new memories.
3. YOUR DOG
There is no better greeting than the one from your dog, a sloppy lick followed by numerous whimpers letting you know that you’ve been deeply missed. Not only do you have a constant reminder of how loved you are, but you also have someone to keep you warm at night. Nothing is more satisfying than snuggling in bed with your dog on a cold winter night.
4. Family
Although your mom may call one too many times during the semester or intrusively hit you with “When are you going to call me??” texts, the holidays are not complete without her. Enjoying a corny Hallmark movie with Mom and Grandma is no less of a tradition than the holidays itself. And let’s not forget about the extended family you see only a handful of times throughout the year yet enjoy gossiping with nonetheless. Everyone is dying to hear about school and the whole fam is “sooo prooud of you.” What’s better than that?
And because we haven’t seen them in a while, we put up with all of their holiday shenanigans.
5. Shopping with someone else’s money
So basically everyone knows the struggle of a college student, which is being POOR all the time. Whether you just got paid $80 to babysit a sleeping baby or you just won $50 on a scratch ticket, your bank account is forever below one hundred dollars. With that being said, whenever you go home everyone offers to take you shopping. Mom or Dad might fill your gas tank, buy you a new pair of Seven jeans or even just slip you some cash before a night out. Thank you so much, Mom and Dad. You are appreciated.
6. Working
Although it’s nice to have someone else buy you a new pair of jeans, it’s even better when you can spoil yourself. Coming home means EMPLOYMENT! You may go home to that bakery you worked for in high school, or perhaps that small ice cream shop that no one goes to in December but still pays you $12 an hour. I can’t express how nice it is to get a paycheck with my name on it after being poor all semester. Unfortunately, for most, a majority of that cash is gone after the first weekend back at school. Oops! It was fun while it lasted…