Jingle Bells, Finals Smell and Jet Setting All Break

Merry Christmas Everyone!

It's the end of the school year, I'm officially done with my finals and I'm back in my home town!

Where, oh where has the time gone? I have one semester left of graduate school and 2014 is almost over and graduation is right around the corner and it feels like just yesterday I drove out to Carbondale with my Dad and had thought to myself "This is going to be the longest 2 years of my life".

So. Loooooonnnnggggg.

HA!

Nothing could be farther from the truth! My time is almost up and I kinda can't believe it.

Finals week wasn't too bad...Only slightly discomforting. I had 2 very strong A's in 2 of my classes and I knew it would take a lot to bring them down, but for my Information Systems Management class (still not really sure what that even means either) I had too solid of a B to get even close to an A. Dang it. I would have needed to get 118% on the final to get an A...and my professor doesn't offer extra credit. Double dang it.

I'm sure I'll get over it.

Oh well. It's my best semester in grad school yet, so there's that. (not like I was failing, I just usually get more Bs than As) and I'm pretty happy it's over. Not my hardest semester school wise, but my hardest semester with work and school and learning curves and learning about myself. I am so ready for this break, you have no idea. But it's really odd to think that it's my very last winter break. For about 80% of my ENTIRE life I have been in school. Gross.

But all I know is school therefore this has been my life... summer = no class, fall = beginning of school year, winter = 1/2 christmas break and 1/2 frigid temperatures walking/biking to class and spring = end of the year and fun times. for 19 years that has been my schedule.
Now it's summer = work, fall = work, winter = work and maybe a few days off, spring = work.

And I want this. I think. No, I really do, I want that life and to be independent and to have a career and to be successful.

Keep telling myself that.

Blah all that's boring stuff so for now, I am just too excited to be back home. The last time I was home was this time last year, and even though I had been back to California a couple times throughout the year, I had not been to my home town or in my childhood house for a year. I flew back to Sacramento, got to visit a college friend and hang out with my Nana before my sister and mom came to take me back way way way up North to the homeland.

My homecoming was less than super exciting, more or less like a hey, sup, hows it going, *hughug* etc.

Womp womp.

But then I saw my dog. I was sitting at the table and she was asleep underneath it. Then she woke up and came up to my legs and then she started to realize that it was me. She started to wag and cry and climbed up higher into my lap, and tried to lick my face and I fell out of the chair with my puppy (she's like 8 or 9 not really a puppy anymore) licking my face all over and she was just way too excited to see me.

Puppy love.

Now that's what I call a great homecoming. Nothing compares to how much your dog loves you and I was kinda worried she wouldn't remember me.

Being home is great. I love going to work out with my baby brother, hanging out with my little sister and drinking morning coffee with my momma. They've shown me all the changes the town has made, like the new boutique, and the new candy shoppe and the diner down the street from my grandparents' house. My town is little but it's home and it wasn't doing too well for awhile there but I think it's on the up and up. Fingers crossed. While I may rag on it, and have no real desire to move back anytime time soon (or ever), I still have a lot of hometown pride. I have only about 2 or 3 people I really get to see that aren't immediate family that I really care about seeing but I'm ok with that.

But my stay at home will be a short visit. At the end of the week the fam-bam and I are headed to Hawaii for a tropical Christmas. Instead of snow and christmas trees we
will have a surfing Santa and palm trees. Totally ok with that too.

And then once we return from the island state, I immediately get on a plane and head to the East Coast. Specifically, Boston, MA, for a reunion with some college girl friends. I can't think of a better way to bring in the New Year than with my few close friends who I have known for most of my college career and have kept close since we we're super green and playing the wii instead of studying for finals. I'm going to fly in on NYE night, so I'm pretty much going to have to change from my shorts and flip flops into my parka and 4 different layers for Boston on the plane and try to get ready for a fun night with the girls. I hope the 'fasten your seat belt' sign doesn't stay on for the whole flight because I'm going need lots of time to get ready.

Can't afford first class but one day I want to travel like this .

Packing has been a nightmare though as I have to pack for 3 completely different climates and staying about 5-7 days in each place. Not enough days to pack 3 different bags but way too much for just one bag. Even though I tried but it was impossible, not with towels and bathing suits and parkas and sweaters and then regular jeans and shirts...just impossible.

But I'm so excited to get to spend break traveling and hanging out with my friends and family, especially when the future is such a large question mark.

But for now I don't have to stress about travel logistics or flights, but my biggest issue is which christmas movie do my sister and brother want to watch and how to decorate the ginger bread house that we're making together.

Cue a long sigh here.

And I am totally ok with that.

To be continued!

Aloha!