Reunited: Things To Do with Your Friends Back Home

Reunited and it feels so good! Finals are over, and everyone is back home for break. With not an ounce of homework in sight, there’s nothing standing between you and your high school friends from catching up. Some of your friends may have gone to the same college as you, but most likely you all went separate ways after graduation. Winter break is the perfect time to get together to reminisce about the old times and to make new memories. Here are some suggestions to keep you laughing together all break long.

 

Every December, my high school friends and I get together to have a secret Sana gift exchange. Everyone dons their best ugly Christmas sweater and brings holiday treats to share. We do gifts differently every year. One year we are randomly assigned another girl in the group so we knew who we were buying for. Another year we just brought a present then played a game to see what order we picked gifts in. This is always my favorite way to play. You can each pick a gift in a random order, but everything gets more exciting when you can “steal” presents from someone who already opened theirs. Another way to play is musical presents, where gifts get passed around the circle until the music stops. No matter what way you play, it’s usually best to put a spending limit on gifts. We’re college students, not millionaires. By limiting everyone to the same budget it equalizes the playing field and forces people to get creative.

If presents aren’t your thing, have a baking party! Everybody knows calories don’t count over break. So pull out grandma’s recipe and turn on the oven. You’ll get some quality time to catch up on gossip while you’re baking. Who’s got a hot new boyfriend?  Who’s got the crazy roommate? Which girls from your high school are pregnant or married already? If you’re old enough, add some wine into the mix! By the time you’re done chit chatting, your desserts should be ready.

Nothing compares to shopping with your girls. No dressing room mirror is as honest or as helpful as your best friends. There’s so many shopping opportunities over break. Braving the mall crowds for pre-holiday shopping is 10 times easier with your friends. Post-holiday, you can all get together to return that well-intended, but not so chic sweater from your aunt or you can spend; all those gift cards that are burning a hole in your wallet. Don’t forget to stop for lunch or coffee at your favorite little café.

Get outside with your girls! Go ice skating or sledding, just like when you were little kids. You’ll laugh more than you have in weeks and you’ll get some cute photos to add to your Instagram. If you live near the mountains, hike the slopes for a ski or snowboard weekend. If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere warm, go to the beach or for a hike. There’s no better way to work off that extra cookie weight than with an adventure with your best friends.