Nothing beats home during the holidays.

Most of the time, if you hear someone talk about New Jersey they are complaining. Rude people, insane drivers, smelly highways, yadda yadda yadda. I've heard it all and definitely complained about it all, but nothing beats the familiarity of home during the holidays.

Yes, right now it is probably snowing at some frigid temperature and by tomorrow afternoon, the temperature will swing all the way up to nearly sixty degrees-nothing about Jersey is normal, not even the weather. But, the closer the holidays creep, the more excited I become to leave the beautiful city of Charleston and see my family and my hometown.

More than anything, I think familiarity is extremely comforting during the holidays. Presents are always awesome, but for me, the holidays are only fun if my brother, sister, and I are all back under the same roof and making my parents laugh at all the ridiculous stuff we do. With all of the inconsistencies that come with being a college student far away from home trying to figure out the future, returning home to my old bed in my unchanged room and seeing the important people in my life I rarely get to see is a breath of fresh air.

I should also mention that I am probably one of the biggest homebodies I know. The fact that I can spend months on end away from my family still amazes me. The family and support system I've built here is always difficult to leave because my time spent in Charleston would not be anywhere near as special without all of the beautiful people in my life.

So, clearly, Charleston has a very special place in my heart. I consider the holy city my second home, but no number of beautiful sunsets highlighting tall church steeples can silence the Jersey in me. Pretty soon I will be driving an absurd thirteen hours to reach the smelly turnpike where there are too many wild drivers weaving in and out of buses and I couldn't be more ready.