1. Home for the holidays — you’re ready to kick back and relax.
2. Netflix becomes your second best friend … after your bed, of course.
3. You realize that you can’t actually relax yet though because you haven’t started doing any Christmas shopping ...
4.… which is extremely difficult when you’re a poor college kid.
5. SO you’re looking for the best deals and getting creative, summoning your crafty side so you don’t need to break the bank.
6. Suddenly, you realize how thankful you are for home-cooked meals: yummy and free.
7. You realize one of the ultimate challenges is trying to find the perfect balance between family, high school friends, and college friends.
8. Then you realize everything closes at around 10 p.m., which is NOT what you’re used to.
9. Extended family comes to town and starts asking you all sorts of questions that you don’t want to answer.
10. Christmas day makes you feel like a kid again.
11. Then New Year’s rolls around (rather quickly) and you’re ready to celebrate with your friends.
12. Towards the end of break, the boredom starts to really set in …
13. You become torn between wanting to go back but not wanting to have responsibilities again.
14. When you finally make it back, being reunited with your friends is the best feeling in the world.