Things I'm looking forward to this break in no particular order:

1) Going to Barnes & Noble and having the money to buy books! I love that store, and it's almost painful walking in knowing that I can't afford to buy the books I want to take home with me.

2) Cooking. I love to cook. LOVE it. I miss it a lot when I go to school, so it stands to reason that I'm looking forward to whipping up some new creations as well as some old favorites while I'm home. The first thing on my list is pancakes followed by spaghetti followed by some FRESH steamed veggies (not from the can like at the dorms) followed by this butterscotch cheesecake recipe I've been dying to try followed by ... well, I think you get my drift.

3) Sleeping as often as I want. Not that I don't do it now. I do it a lot now, but I feel guilty about it because I don't like making my roommates to feel like they can't watch TV or talk without bothering me.

4) Read, read, read, read. I have a large pile of books I've been wanting to get to that the semester just doesn't allow time for, as well as a stack of TIME magazines that need my attention. Small town life doesn't allow for much else during breaks other than reading, so this fits in with my plan perfectly.

5) Watching movies. I love movies almost as much as I love books, and there are some classics I've been wanting to re-visit. Home Alone, Christmas Vacation, White Christmas, and Under the Tuscan Sun are just a few on my list. My uncle's coming for Christmas, and he loves movies, too, so I'm sure we'll bond over those.

6) Last but not least, seeing my family. You know you're getting older when seeing your family is something you really start to look forward to. I'm really lucky to have a family that I love hanging out with (most of the time at least). My parents are great, my brother is great, my grandmas are great, my aunts and uncles are great, my cousins are really great, and my dog is great.

Sadly, I must mention two very important family members whom I will be without this Christmas. Last year I lost my maternal grandfather, and this year I lost my paternal grandfather. It will be strange not having either around this holiday season; it will almost be like we're a flock with no shepard, no patriarch to guide us. It's sad not having them with us here, but I know they're guiding us from above.