Things Grad Students Love, Part 3...plus an apology.

Ok, so before I launch into this let me just apologize (like any of you really care, like it was really eating away at your soul that I wasn't producing anything for you to read) for my extended silence. I've been home for the past two weeks (which is also the subject of this entry) and have just been way too busy running around actually socializing and doing something with my days other than sitting in front of a computer screen to update. Now that I'm back in the big city and still not started my spring semester, I'm sure I will have much more down time.

Which brings me to Part 3 of Things Grad Students Love:

Being home for the holidays.

Not just the title of a really entertaining Jodie Foster-directed Holly Hunter-starring film, being home for the holidays instills a sense of purpose and directive in a graduate student. Not only was I afforded a chance to see all of my California friends who I've been without for the past four months, but they were actually happy to see me due to my extended absence from the space I used to occupy weekly on their couches. My family was oddly happy to see me as well, showering me with encouragement, affection, and to be honest, lots of money. They must have heard me complaining about my lack of funds from the other side of the Rockies. Actually, it's not weird at all that they were happy to see me; I'm lucky enough to have one of those families that isn't competative with each other's accomplishments and is actually supportive and happy to see someone else succeed.

Another amazing thing about being home for the holidays was the money I was able to not spend. From dinners with my mom to drinks with friends to lunch with old acquaintances, I don't think I spent a single cent until my 4th or 5th day home in California. And believe me, I totally appreciated it. Everyone was incredibly generous and helpful, affording me a chance to have an amazing time while also saving a bit of coin. Also, the price of gas has totally tanked due to our fantastic economy. Filling up a 13 gallon tank used to cost about $60; last week I spent $32 to fill 16 gallons of my mom's Hyundai. In other words: Sweeeet.

There's nothing that I love more than spending time reminiscing with old friends and family, discussing music and remember when?s and telling stories, noticing that even though I may live thousands of miles away I can still relate to these people, these amazingly encouraging, positive, lovely people, like a beat was never missed, like a day was never spent without them, like I've been sleeping on their couches for the past four months, like I've been to all the familial get-togethers, like it wasn't completely refreshing to wake up and hear one friend groaning from his hangover in the other room, to hear another stressing out about losing her phone only to find it minutes later, to my sister in the bed on the other side of our shared room blowing her nose because the heater was on too high, to my step-father passing me in the hallway saying "'ello!", to my friends laughing at my pain from the night before, like it wasn't completely amazing and exciting to hear these sounds without the assistance of a telephone wire. At least I know that these people will always be there, that I have their love and support, and that they are really just a phone call away.

Thanks for the amazing vacation time, everyone. Love you all.