Winter Break 2021

Hello everyone! I hope the winter break has been so refreshing for everyone. I am wishing you many compliments of the season. I am so glad to finally be done with the fall semester. There was so much going on this fall especially since we have returned to campus. It has been extremely exhausting and this break was so refreshing. During these breaks, it is great to plan and work ahead for the new season but in that same vein take time to rest and celebrate the successes of the previous season. I would love to share how my break went.

Unfortunately, once I got home the first couple of weeks I was very sick. I did not have COVID but I had a bad cold with a high fever. I was bedridden for a week and did not feel better until Christmas Day. It was weird timing because I did not have the energy to participate in the holiday events leading up to it but did enjoy the holiday. However, it was great to just spend the day in bed reading until I got better.

Once I got better, it was time to prepare for Christmas and New Year's. My family is not very big on holidays. We have never done anything crazy so holidays look like a normal day with some festive changes. We do not do presents or family pajamas. We do not go on a trip or anything either. This Christmas my mom, sister, and I had a really good dinner and got to meet with some family friends. It was really refreshing to just relax with my family. I get pulled in a lot of different directions but I honestly just love being able to sit down and talk with my family. Sometimes Christmas can be caught up in selfishness, greed, consumerism, etc. but it really is about joining together with family to be thankful for the gift of Jesus’s birth. I used to be very jealous when comparing my holidays to other people because they never really matched up to the movies or social media. However, as I have matured I see the beauty in such a simple day and really get to enjoy the presence of family.

My dad finally arrived on New Year's Eve! My family went to our church’s crossover service which was very fun. It’s always so nice to have my whole family together with our church family to celebrate the new year.

I also used this break to get a lot of work done! I have been able to get ahead of schoolwork and plan my spring semester. It can be overwhelming to start new classes because you always feel behind. So this break I got to go over my syllabi, write out my deadlines, fill in my calendar, and plan to use my time accordingly. I still have to meet with my professors to finalize some things but I am super excited to get the new semester started.

Lastly, one of my favorite parts of coming home. I get to hang out with my close friends. These girls have been my close friends since freshman year of high school and we have all been able to maintain these close bonds as we have grown. I love the city of Houston and these girls truly make coming back worthwhile. Each one of them is so supportive and inspiring. We are all able to move around and spend months apart then come back together and be completely normal.

I am super excited to start school again and see where God takes us all this semester! Please share how your went break went, I am very curious to see everyone's traditions and plans.