11 Thoughts That May Have Occurred To You Over Winter Break

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If you’re anything like me, coming home from college for winter break is a lot like going to a hot yoga class for the first time. It sounds great- just the relaxing “me-time” opportunity you were looking for. There’s a lot of hype surrounding it, people talk highly of it and you’re excited to finally experience it after such a trying semester. But then when you’re in it, sweating profusely and gasping for breath, you think secretly to yourself, “This is not as fun as I thought it was going to be.” You suddenly feel duped by the hype, you’re convinced you might die at any second and at the end you’re left lying on the floor, feeling physically and emotionally drained and just happy you made it through. So, you know, they’re basically the same thing.

When you’re in college, winter break comes at the perfect time when you’ve literally given everything you have to not failing your finals. But for some, winter break is a little less timely with the exit. Some schools have perfectly timed breaks: one-week post-NYE to recover and then back to the promise land of college and into the arms of syllabus week. But what about those of us with long breaks lasting two, maybe even three weeks? That’s a whole lot of free time for self-realization /discovery /loathing.

If you were like me and had a notably long break, here are some of the thoughts and things that may have occurred to you.

  • OMG yes, now I have so much time to catch up on my shows! Becomes so emotionally invested in show (“Olivia, why won’t you just choose Jake, he loves you sooooo much!!!”) that you realize your sense of reality/identity is being compromised and you need to take one big healthy step back.
  • I’ll just bake some cookies! …. again. I haven’t tried that Red Velvet Peanut Butter Toffee Crunch Strudel Snickerdoodle recipe I found on Pinterest yet.
  • How about I drink some tea and curl up by the fire? Because maybe if I tuck my feet up perfectly while wearing some cozy socks and cradling a quirky mug filled with some herbal tea, I’ll feel as peaceful and content as the Instagrams of this very scene make me think I will be!
  • I actually want to go to the gym! Because I am so bored and desperate for any activity that will eat up a few hours of my day!
  • Maybe I’ll do something fun tonight! *attempts messy ponytail (nailed it), goes for the smoky eye (sorta nailed it), realizes that there is absultely nobody around to go out with (opposite of nailed it)*
  • Oh nice, I’m home alone, finally some real me-time! Oh good, I’m all alone, just enough time for the uncertainty of my future and the demons of anxiety to swoop in and inform me that I’m probably not going to get a job and that those patterned leggings were a bad investment.
  • Let’s have some fun on the Internet! Well according to this BuzzFeed quiz I’m more of a Maple Tree and according to YouTube, I am still mesmerized by twerking.
  • This is a great opportunity to catch up with some old friends! Embarks on several text conversations with random people from the past, only for said convos to eventually die out after “Yeah, we should definitely get coffee sometime!” or “Yeah same here, break has been so nice and relaxing but I’m definitely getting excited for next semester!”
  • I’ll paint my nails with a cool design I’ve always wanted to try! So I can get some instant validation from my Instagram followers when they double tap the picture I post.
  • I feel like I’ve missed some of Sarah’s posts lately. Let’s see what she’s been up to! Stalks social media to an unhealthy degree only to eventually stop scrolling and realize “Wait, why am I stalking my sister’s boyfriend’s mom’s Instagram account for her dog?”
  • Maybe I’ll try out a new hobby! Has a hot and fleeting affair with the grand piano downstairs, quickly gets bored due to lack of progress, goes to the kitchen and eats chips.
  • Starts considering family pet only true friend in the world. I’m leaving everything I have in this world to you and your adorable, scruffily face.