1. Syllabus Week
What is Syllabus Week but a vaguely educational extension of Winter Break? When your only real homework is to think really hard about when you should buy your textbooks, it’s hard not to go out every day of the week. That is, until you remember you’ve already been assigned 40 pages of reading, and hearing your midterm is 50 percent of your grade will sound even more catastrophic while hungover. I know you’ve always wanted to roll up to Trinity straight from class, and Syllabus Week is the perfect time to do so. Bonus points if you run into your TA.
2. Your apartment
Charlottesville housing is the thing U.Va. students most love to hate. I remember the time I plugged in my hair dryer and every light in my unit went off. And there was the time my roommates and I called CBS Rentals five times in two days. And how could I forget the fact that my shower isn’t capable of going above freezing? My apartment may be a bit unsanitary and disorganized, but I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. I just miss my parents’ cooking.
3. Your friends
They’re with you at your best, not judging you at your worst, and always adamant about doing things you absolutely should not be doing. Though I undoubtedly sound like a seventh grader who just discovered the Bumper Sticker app on Facebook, it’s hard to say you didn’t miss your friends from school. I was abroad all of last semester, so I may be a lot more excited to see my friends than they are to see me, but enthusiasm is contagious, isn’t it?
4. The Charlottesville food scene
I studied abroad in Florence, Italy last semester. During a night that some may consider a high point, but many more will agree was a low point, I had a dream about the Pad See Ew at Lemongrass. After pinching myself to make sure I was just as insane as I thought I was, I realized two things. One, apparently eating pasta twice a day for four months didn’t satisfy my internal desire for Thai noodles. Two, I need to find better things to dream about. We’re spoiled by the numerous food establishments in Charlottesville. And with new businesses always popping up — No. 3, changing your name to various Edgar Allen Poe puns does not mean you are a new restaurant — there’s always something different to choose from.
5. Widespread irreverence toward traffic
In Charlottesville, everyone has the right of way. You’re driving down the Corner 30 miles over the speed limit and someone’s crossing the road? Throw them some shade, slam on your brakes and be pissed that someone’s in the way of your attempt to make it to Chipotle before the lunch rush. When crossing the street, coffee in hand, furious about the cold, why not just walk out in front of oncoming traffic? It’s illegal for them not to stop, right? If I do get hit, does that mean I don’t have to rush girls for the last few rounds?
6. Community of trust
While in Florence, my friend left her laptop unattended on our private campus for five minutes and it got stolen. This incident made me realize just how much I appreciate our community here. I know we’re not perfect and no campus is without theft, but I have taken for granted my ability to leave my computer while grabbing a coffee. Why anyone would want to steal my laptop — covered in donut and cat stickers — is beyond me, but knowing that it is safe is a blessing I often don’t acknowledge.
7. My schedule
You may not ever get sick of watching Netflix and sitting in the comfortable spot on your couch, but I’ll be the first one to say that I missed being busy over break. Going to class is not always my first choice activity, but it gets me out of bed and it forces me to be vaguely social. In addition, meetings, work, class and volunteering provide some semblance of a life plan. I’ll argue to my deathbed that watching three seasons of “The Amazing Race” in two days taught me more about geography and culture than any history class ever did, but my parents and the general public will probably beg to differ.
8. The inside of Clemons
If your break went anything like mine, it involved your parents passive-aggressively telling you to update your resume and get your life together while you ignored them and stared at the walls of your living room to avoid eye contact. In Clemons, at least you’re surrounded by your friends, being unproductive in solidarity. There’s no mother sitting behind you, not-so-silently judging you for hate-stalking someone on Facebook. Clemons is cold, sad and often dream-crushing, but at least you’re not in it alone.
9. An easily accessible social life
You’re back in Charlottesville and everything is in walking distance, so you’re not allowed to complain about anything being too far away. Come midterms, you’ll be wishing you had gone to dinner with your friend or to Mellow for that one Pint Night. At home, it’s easy to get stuck in hibernation mode and post up in your house for hours — days? — at a time. Here, with friends everywhere and a very FOMO-inducing Yik Yak presence, it’s definitely easier to be social. The Yik Yak presence in my town involves a lot of high school students and the occasional feisty mom, rendering the social scene less than ideal.
10. The landscape
Charlottesville is a place so pretty that there are “scenic areas” on the side of the road where you’re supposed to pull off and take pictures. No matter how many times I hike Humpback or drive down Route 29, I’m always in awe of how incredible the scenery is around me — beautiful in any filter.
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