It’s only the first week of November, you say. That’s all right, I reply. I like watching artificial snowflakes fall across a red screen that comfortingly reassures me that I do, indeed, have winter break coming. Here. Now you can enjoy it too.

Yes, yes — I know they didn’t capitalize Christmas, but I can’t really do anything about that. And why am I about to let that ruin my enjoyment?

But really, drivel about the format of this Christmas countdown clock aside, I am so looking forward to going home for Thanksgiving and winter break this year.

1. I miss sitting around all day.

I realize I do sit around for a lot of the day now, but when I’m at home, it’s often a voluntary sitting around all day. It’s not an enforced sitting around because I have research to complete or essays I need to write or books I need to read. I have the agency to sit around and do as I please, and frankly, that makes a huge difference.

2. I miss my room.

After two-and-a-half years of living in my current apartment, I’ve definitely created my own space and I love spending time with my photo-lined walls, Christmas light-lined windows, and clothing-strewn drying ranks. But I still miss the comfort of my old bed at home, in a room where I so carefully chose the colors of my walls, in a house where I don’t have to worry about my hardwood floors poking my feet with tiny splinters.

3. I miss not having to run errands all day.

Don’t give me that look. I know I actively find ways to keep myself busy from my first waking minute to my last, but sometimes this semester has really been making me feel more like a turtle than I ever have before. In other words, I’d really like to not have to haul my entire technology-and-book-anchored life around with me each day. It’s quite a drag. Literally.

4. I miss my family.

I got a call from my brother yesterday as I was attempting to check out at Trader Joe’s. Given our general lack of phone communication, I decided to pick up…even if I may have ended up annoying the cashier and my partner. Oops. Turns out he, too, was grocery shopping and wanted some advice regarding the ingredients he was purchasing to bake a pumpkin bread (which I do believe he is baking right this minute. The minute of my writing, that is, not the minute of your reading). Even though we spent only a few sporadic minutes of him wandering through a grocery store and my walking home talking about different butter substitutions, it was nice to hear his voice again and talk to him — as functional as the conversation may have been.

I miss seeing my family, and the older I get, the more and more I realize that the holidays are, though not the only time to see family, they’re the optimal time to see family. This realization is, I can safely say, currently the number one motivating factor that is encouraging me to return to my kid-at-Christmas spirit.

It is, indeed, only November 7. But that’s okay. Because in the process of writing this, I’ve now watched my countdown clock tell me I’m now one hour closer to Christmas. And that’s a pretty glorious feeling.

Oh, and who can forget this one:

5. I love shopping for gifts.

So much excitement.