“Humans. You're so nostalgic.” – the 11th doctor
I don’t think a truer set of words could be spoken. And as soon as the holiday season is in sight, it’s nostalgia overload as we're bombarded with old-fashioned Christmas songs and memorable family traditions. And I LOVE every minute of it. I know it’s not even Thanksgiving yet (only two days!), but when I came home this weekend I was flooded with the craving for Christmas season to commence, and I’m usually a strict “Respect the Bird” type of girl when it comes to this sort of thing. Perhaps it’s the combination of Peppermint mochas becoming available at Starbucks, the release of the She & Him Christmas album (which I’m listening to right now), and flying back home and getting to see all of my friends and family. If only I didn’t have countless exams and research essays to complete between now and Christmas, I would be as happy as Pooh with a roomful of honey. Alas, you can’t have everything. So I’ll just have to revel in the freedom of this week and enjoy the pleasures of the moment.
So far, I’ve had a fun and rather busy break from school. I left Ithaca on Friday morning, with only a two-hour layover in Detroit. Thankfully, I met some friends on the flight and was able to chat and have lunch with them in the airport during my break. Flight of the Conchords took up the rest of my wait, and was a nice distraction from a scheduling fiasco that had recently ensued. Once I arrived in great ole Indiana, I had some wonderful mother-daughter bonding over car rides and tea, and then drove to West Lafayette to visit my friend Andrew. We ate frozen yogurt (God bless the Midwest and their growing appreciation towards froyo) and watched The Shining, which I surprisingly had never watched all the way through before.
On Saturday I slept in until noon like a good little teenager. Then I watched my high school friends in their production of Parfumerie, which was adorable and fun. Afterwards, Elizabeth and I decided to “paint the town red”, which only resulted in me sneaking some Chick-fil-a into a Steak n’ Shake and then us catching up on some Doctor Who. Several friends were visited that night and Sunday too. Though I love seeing old faces, I’ve experienced a tinge of sadness both times that I’ve visited home since I moved. I think it’s maybe because the realization dawns on me that I’m growing apart from certain people when we experience the awkwardness of having nothing deeper than small talk to discuss. It’s rather hard to grasp but hopefully it’s not a permanent thing.
In happier news, it’s Tuesday evening and I’m off to New York again! Though thankfully, not back to school yet. My parents and I are “road-tripping” out to the City to meet up with Alex and have Thanksgiving/birthday/black Friday shenanigans. I’m rather excited for family bonding. And for this moment, I’m very content. Wrapped up in a blanket in the back seat of the Jeep, playing peaceful holiday music through my laptop speakers as rain relentlessly drips down the black windows. Car headlights glare off my face every once in awhile and I imagine that I’m already there.
Current reads: Beloved by Toni Morrison and The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
