Christmas passed by extremely fast. I honestly was not expecting it to come and go so quickly. One moment I was on the plane, flying away from Ames to Detroit, and the next thing I know, gifts have been opened, food has been eaten, and the Christmas music is drifting away. What's next? I suppose my flight back to Ames, which I am bittersweet about. But I'm not going to sit here and dwell on the amount of days I have left here in Michigan, and I don't want you college students to become bummed out about going back to uni. Let's focus on the time you have left at home and what to do with it!

1. Hang out with your hometown friends!

Remember all of those "I miss you"s and "We'll definitely hang out when I get back home!" messages that you and your hometown friends shared when you left for college? Don't let them be in vain. Hit up your friends and seriously hang out with them. Maintaining friendships can be hard when you don't put in the effort. I know that my friend group and I do not always communicate (we have different schedules!), but when we do, it's like we never stopped talking. Now that I am back home for the holidays, I am trying to get around and spend much needed time with my friends. "I miss you" doesn't mean much when you have the chance to hang out with someone, yet don't. Actions speak louder than words, my friend.

2. Spend quality time with your family. (No, saying "hi" and "bye" doesn't count. Get out of your room.)

I  know that I missed my family a lot when I was away at college. As soon as I got home, I hung out with my parents, sister, grandma, aunt, and some cousins. I know that family can get on your nerves in a special kind of way that nobody else can, but it's all out of love. Allow yourself to hang out with them and not just in passing by.

3. Hit up some of your old-time favorite places.

Were there any places that you consistently went to back when you were in high school or middle school? A place that you know like the back of your hand, or that you consider your second home? Make sure you stop there are experience a bit of nostalgia.

4. Grub, grub, grub.

I'm talking homemade food and some city specialties that you won't be able to find back at your university. Before I even flew back to Detroit, I already had a list of foods that I wanted before I returned to college. I'm still waiting to get my favorite Mexican food, but I've been gradually crossing places and foods off my list. Enjoy while you can!