Playing Catch-up in the Midst of the Holiday Season

Remember that winter break your first year in college? Whether you went away to school or had friends who did, it was all about catching up. It's a time rooted in limbo -- you're reacquainting yourself with high school friends and figuring out how your new college friends fit into the picture.I went away to school, and I distinctly remember that first winter break 13 years ago. I had just started dating the man I would eventually marry, and I was still in touch with my close high school friends. I crammed as much as possible into my month off, a month that of course went much more quickly than I wanted it to. I was constantly on the move: The minute I was "free" from family obligations, I was in the car and on my way.

Enough with the nostalgia, what's my point? Last night, as I pushed myself to get just one more thing done, one more thing organized, I flashed back to that first year in undergrad and compared it to this, my first break in grad school. I'm still trying to cram as much as possible into my break, but this time around, it's more about chores than chums.

My break -- the longest break of the program -- is almost halfway through. It's flown by, but not because I've been doing anything particularly interesting. No, it's the opposite: I've spent the last two weeks alternating between catching up on everything in my life that I've let slip since school started and catching up on my sleep.

Even on break, I'm in a race with myself to see how much I can get done. But so far, that's been woefully little. My to-do list remains pristine, with nary an item crossed off. I had high hopes for this break, but it's not looking good. (Don't even get me started with Christmas. Even without decorating this year, I'm not much further along in my shopping than previous years.)

I've still got hundreds and hundreds of pictures from my vacation to organize into albums, and the blank walls of my undecorated house (we just moved in) are beginning to mock me. I've got a garage full of donations I need to give away. And that assigned reading looms.

And with a nod to the past, I have friends to visit. One in particular, who recently moved to California and just came home for the holidays. We've got a lot of catching up to do, but she's not the only one. My friends here barely remember what I look like.

Regardless, the countdown is on: In 15 or so days, school ramps up again. In the interim, I've gifts to wrap, pictures to organize, a house to decorate, textbooks to read, and friends to see.