Things to do during winter break

Winter break might be in fact the most wonderful time of the year. From numerous sleepless nights, with my eyes piercing into the laptop screen, the only incentive keeping me going were the pile of gingerbread cookies waiting for me at home. This semester has been the toughest one yet, and I had been looking forward to coming home every moment throughout finals week. But for the past couple days since the start of my winter break, I have lived a completely sedentary lifestyle. Averaging less than 1,000 steps and 12 hours of sleep a day, I slowly began to realize that I may be wasting these precious days of freedom. While winter breaks are definitely a time to decompress and relax after a whole semester of hard work, I realized that being productive and setting a schedule for myself feels a lot more fulfilling!

These days I’ve been trying to wake up around 7:30 am and start my morning off with a cup of tea and a book. I’ve made it a personal goal to get into the habit of reading books more often! I’m currently reading a historical novel called Pachinko and I’ve made it a goal of mine to finish it by the end of winter break. I also wrote a list of new hobbies and goals including baking, being more active, and planning for the spring semester.

With classes and exams consuming majority of my time, I haven’t been able to think much about putting things in order after finals. Winter break is the perfect time to tidy up and organize class schedules, club meetings, or even look for part time jobs!

Since I’ll be on Co-op in the spring, I decided to make a spreadsheet of lunch and meal prep ideas. Last summer during my first Co-op, I found myself running out of ideas and constantly making the same meals for lunch. To prevent myself from repeating this same mistake, I made a list of easy, quick, and affordable lunch ideas. These include a variation of chilis, salads, and sandwiches!

Further, I’ve been trying to spend more quality time with family and friends back home. Nothing is more fulfilling than seeing your loved ones after months of being apart from each other. I’ve been learning so many great Korean recipes from my mother that I can’t wait to show my roommates. I realized that as I get older, the less time I have time to spend with my parents. I’ve been making more of an effort to avoid social media or staring at my laptop screen, but rather go on walks or drives with my parents.

Lastly, I’ve rekindled my passion for art! I purchased an app, Procreate, on my iPad and have been experimenting with the features. Art had always been a form of therapy for me in high school, so it felt nice getting back into the habit of mindlessly doodling, sketching, and painting.

There’s no right or wrong way to spend your winter break. Whether it’s catching up on sleep or watching your favorite Netflix show, picking up a new hobby, or looking for internships, as long as you feel fulfilled and satisfied that’s all that matters! I hope everyone has a safe and happy holidays! See you in 2022!