Winter break is the time mid-school year when many lurk at home under their covers, enviously tapping through social media, looking at their friends’ photos of their various vacation destinations. I personally get very frustrated seeing all my friends sunbathing on the beach in their swimsuits, sipping water out of a coconut, while I’m stuck at home in my pjs sipping on a juice box. But who said you can’t have fun at home during the holidays? The best way to eliminate these feelings of envy is to put your phone down and make the best of your newfound leisure time. Welcome to my homebodies’ guide to making the most of your stay-at-home vacation.

Often times, you have the fixings for a good time right at home, not to mention an opportunity to be productive. Go on an expedition to the refrigerator and discover something to eat from the top shelf. Or maybe it’s finally time to excavate the giant pile of who-knows-what accumulating in the corner of your room to see if you can find that sock that’s been missing since last Christmas. For those craving some chill time, have a little spa day by sinking into your bathtub and putting on your favorite music or TV show.  If you have a sheet mask laying around, pop it in the fridge for a few minutes before using it to get a nice depuffing effect.

Between finishing homework and writing college essays, it can be difficult to make time to be active, let alone breathe. So during this break, take advantage of this time to go on a hike with the family: just get lost in the woods, find a stream to drink from or a tree to hug. Not much of an outdoor person? You can still get some exercise by hopping on the Caltrain to San Francisco and forcing yourself to walk everywhere, maybe even catching some holiday shopping deals along the way.

With all the extra time on your hands, break is the perfect time to binge TV shows. Whether that means plowing through a new Netflix series or rewatching all nine seasons of Friends, you’re sure to make some decent headway before January 2nd. If you don’t know what to watch, might I suggest trying something new, like your first ever anime or korean-drama? My personal favorites are “My Hero Academia” or “Full Metal Alchemist” for animes, and “Sassy Go Go”, “Coffee Prince” or “Strong Woman” if you’re interested in k-dramas. Just keep in mind that k-drama episodes are typically an hour long, and there are some cultural differences between animes and k-dramas, and American TV shows.

The most important thing that people forget to do during the year is to spend some good quality time with the family. Amid the hustle-and-bustle of everyday life, we can easily forget to show appreciation for those we love. This break, bond with your parents over Costco samples while grocery shopping or have a quality argument over holiday dinners.

No matter what you decide to do this break, I hope you find a way to have fun. Break is ultimately a time to take your mind away from work and concentrate on yourself. As for my fellow seniors, I wish you all the best of luck with college apps. I understand it can be hard to alleviate the stress of approaching deadlines, but hopefully you can find some time to relax with friends and family. If not…

Oh Whale!

There’s always the next break to look forward to!