What is there to do during winter in Miami?

Well, I have successfully made it through the thick of my finals and have come out on the other side still alive. I had my difficult media law final last Thursday and a midterm on Monday for my psych research methods class. A midterm! My final for the research class is bright and early on December 21. After that I will be home free–literally: I will be at home and free to do what I please (for the most part). 

This semester has been fun. I think it’s been a good balance between the relaxed exploration of last semester in Spain and the stressful trials of last fall. I made it through my classes, played pep band for men’s hockey games, played oboe in an orchestra, and wrote seventeen fun news stories for the campus newspaper, the Minnesota Daily. 

I could list everything that I’ve learned this semester, but that seems like a waste of my time and yours. Who doesn’t go to college and learn something, either in class or about life? Surprisingly, I learned quite a bit about being a journalist in the real world in my media law class, such as the fact that the public and the press have a first amendment right to attend criminal trials and that we can challenge judges when they want to close the court to the public. Cool stuff, no?

I'm looking forward to a couple of things this winter break:  

Seeing family. Obviously I am greatly looking forward to leaving this concrete jungle for a couple of weeks and spending time in the comfort of my home. I’m anticipating baking and cooking with my family, playing cards, and general funtime “familyness.” Also, I miss my dogs when I’m away all the time, so I plan to get in some good walks and romps.

Having time for my hobbies. With school and work, it’s hard to find time for myself and things I enjoy. Maybe I will finally finish the fifth book of the Outlander series. Hopefully I will have enough time to work out consistently. Who knows, maybe I’ll even take up running (unlikely). I’m hoping to start watching a new TV show as well, so maybe I’ll even have time for that. But all this seems a little out of reach. Most likely, I’ll just be napping and working. 

Miami! My friends and I have booked a trip to take a couple of days to go down to Miami and enjoy the warmer weather and the beach. The selected destination wasn’t really my first choice, but someplace warmer than here is fine with me, even though this has been a mild winter so far. I am nervous, though, because my friend group can be pretty divided in what they want to do. Some friends want to go to the beach and party all the time, others want to tour and go to museums and such. So it will be interesting to see what happens. 

I’m probably putting too much weight on the minimal week's break I will be getting between the semesters. But one can only hope, no? Maybe I’ll just spend the entire time in dreamland, napping my time away. 

My Determination: “When we are children we seldom think of the future. This innocence leaves us free to enjoy ourselves as few adults can. The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind.” - Patrick Rothfuss, “The Name of the Wind”