Home.

There's nothing quite like waking up to fresh snow.  And singing *NSYNC's "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" with my sister a la Barry Gibb.  Or chugging Trader Joe's Sipping Chocolate.  This year, I realized how much I love everything about the holidays: being home, snow, good food, cozying up with knee-high socks, packing while listening to Christmas music, the Santa radar, and even those nasty crowds.  Because in the end, we're all just trying to be happy and spread the love.  Even if that involves receiving a Playstation 2 "Friends" trivia game.

As the year winds down, I also can't help but reminisce about how much I've grown up in 2009.  At this time last year, my mom's box of cookies were discarded on my doorstep, and I was more than ready to begin my college life after a semester of anxious waiting (and half a year of misleading e-mails).  I was told that I would not make any friends at school because I was "too pretentious" and quiet.  Now I find myself one year older and beefcakier and so ready for 2010.