It’s that time of the year again. There are a couple more days of school and I am most definitely in the cramming stages trying to finish my three group projects, a paper and study for tests before next Wednesday afternoon when I hop on my flight back home.
Home for me is Florida, so I will be having a sunny Christmas rather than the white Christmas Boston will hopefully have.
The holidays, especially Christmas time, are my favorite times of the year. Each year on Christmas Eve, my mom’s two best friends and their families, as well as our family friends come to the Frankel household. We play White Elephant and laugh until our stomachs hurt. Everyone brings homemade food and my family cooks all day in preparation for the party. My little sister Vicki and I are always in charge of the dessert and make yummy treats for everyone.
This year for Thanksgiving my little sister, my roommate Sam and I made blueberry pie and caramel pumpkin blondies. Not to toot our horns or anything, but I loved the blueberry pie, and the blondies came out pretty good too.
That means Christmas Eve desserts are going to be even better.
It’s easy for college kids to not appreciate their time home and wish for the time away because they miss the independence of college and their friends. Believe me, I miss my friends and independence too, but I treasure my time at home with my family and friends. Seeing my sister everyday and being able to go on adventures with her is my favorite part of being home. Having long talks with my mom, joking around with my dad as he makes us pancakes and playing board games with my brother bring me so much joy.
There’s something magical about waking up on Christmas morning to the sound of my sister waking me up but to also be quiet because my brother is still sleeping. I walk downstairs to the smell of my dad making blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes and espresso for everyone. I snuggle with my dog before my sister pulls me to our tree with a smile on her face. We go to our neighbors house in the afternoon for mimosas — age 21 and up for drinks of course — and run around the neighborhood enjoying the cool Florida weather.
Winter in Florida is a dream. The 60 and 70 degree Fahrenheit weather leads to Floridians breaking out their winter wear. As a Bostonian now, I am the girl wearing shorts and a tank top before I realize it’s a bit too cold to dress in summer clothing. No joke, my mom brought out my Boston winter coat to wear on a family walk one day in December. When I tell you Floridians are not used to the cold, it’s no joke.
Picture this: You are laughing with your family while eating a delicious meal. After dinner, you go on a walk outside and enjoy the fresh air, still laughing at the jokes your dad, brother or other family members made at dinner. That is the picture I dream of as the semester comes to a close.
Take time this winter break to appreciate the time with your family and friends at home. Take long walks with your family and eat dinner together, because time flies by and before we know it college will be coming to a close. Take time to get to know your siblings better and thank your parents for everything. It’s easy to lose sight of how lucky we are to be at Boston University and live in this wonderful city.
The holidays are a time of giving, being together and making memories so take in every second of it. Time will fly by as it always does and you’ll be back at BU for Spring semester. Hug your family, tell them you love them and don’t cancel those plans with your friends from high school because you feel tired or any other excuse you make.
It’s so easy to let life pass you by, so I challenge you to take life and everything it gives you and make the most of every day. No time machine exists to repeat a day you wish you had done differently, so enjoy every second of every day.
