The peace and quiet this winter break were long overdue. I certainly did not miss the litany of alarms going off on my roommate’s and my phones. 

Back in my hometown, I caught up with all my high school friends. Nothing beats the familiarity of old friends and the stories that never get old. As a break from the routine, I decided to join a Pilates class, which ended up being my favorite part of the day. Yeah, I was breaking a sweat during the break, but it surprisingly felt good.

I also decided to take a pottery class. It started as a random idea, but getting hands-on with clay turned out to be strangely therapeutic and I hope to give it a real try soon.

However, the highlight of my break was when my 5 and 7-year-old cousins came to visit. We shared the best times together, having what we like to call “Self-Care Nights” where we put on face masks and watch our favorite movies (Tangled is always a must-watch).

And of course, the classic winter break move – binge-watching shows with my mom. Cozy nights, blankets, and a TV series marathon – it became our thing. From intense dramas to guilty pleasure sitcoms, we covered it all.