A lot of people tend to take Thanksgiving as a time to think of things they are thankful for. However, I find that I tend to use Christmas as a time to think of giving thanks, especially as I’m giving and receiving presents. Thus, I present what I’m (and hopefully you, although you may understandably not be) thankful for these holidays!

1. Spending Time with Family

After a stressful end of semester and terrifying election results, it’s nice to spend some time with the family. It truly reminds you of the joys of Christmas when you get to spend the day Christmas shopping, decorating and present wrapping with your mom.

2. Sleeping

Let’s face it, no student receives a decent amount of sleep during the end of the semester. Being able to sleep without setting an alarm was a literal blessing.

3. Travelling

Having four week off of school leads to a lot of down time. I love it because whether it’s traveling a few cities over or to another country I’m able to take some time to visit a variety of places.

4. Reading Time

I find it very difficult to keep up on things like reading during the semester. As such, I take Christmas break as a time to catch up on some reading. Not only that, but I also take some time to catch up on other hobbies like writing and knitting.

5. My Pets

While I have pets at college, there is nothing like seeing your dogs when arriving home. My favorite is when I first pull up in the driveway, my parents open the door so my dogs can run outside and be the first to greet me.