My favorite part about starting a new semester is the chance to have a clean slate and a fresh start! There are so many new and exciting things to look forward to this semester and I can’t wait to share all my experiences with you!  

Home for the holidays:

Thanksgiving  is always a relaxing break right before the last week of school. I was lucky enough to spend it with my best friend and her family up in Flagler Beach. The beauty of being in college is that even if you don’t go home for Thanksgiving there’s always a place to go! Her family was so welcoming and it’s always nice to feel the warmth of being home even when you are hundreds of miles away. Something I have also learned while being in college is to never turn down a home cooked meal, they are few and hard to come by!

For Christmas break, I wrapped things up down here in Florida and I headed up to the cold and snowy New Hampshire! There’s nothing like leaving 80 degree weather and landing in a winter wonderland! One of my first stops when I landed in Boston was to Bob Lobster; by far the best lobstah and chowdah in New England!

Bob Lobsters Famous Lobster Rolls and Clam Chowder, Newburyport Massachusetts

My favorite part about being home for break is the chance to take a step back from the stress of school and finally get to relax. I was able to catch up with many of my old friends that I haven’t seen in years! On Christmas day my mom and I took a drive up the coast and went to watch the sunset on the beach. Although it was freezing, the view was absolutely breathtaking! I took my new puppy Siena (named after Siena Italy where I studied abroad) to the beach and she was running around in sand and it was by far the cutest thing ever!

My new puppy Siena!

For New Years Eve my best friend from high school and I went to the First Night Celebrations in Portsmouth, New Hampshire! The night was filled with people dancing in the streets, fireworks, and lots of great food!

New Years Eve

New Years Day is probably one of my most favorite days of the year. I love having the opportunity to close the chapter on a year and start a new one off fresh. Everyone makes mistakes in life and its our responsibility to learn from them and keep moving forward. For me this past year was definitely one of mistakes, but it was also one filled with lots of opportunities to learn. Here’s some things that I learned this past year and some advice I have for starting off this new semester:

1. Stay Organized: One of my main goals this semester is to stay organized and on top of all my work. I plan on doing this by writing down all my homework, upcoming tests, club meetings, ect. in my calendar so that I can stay on top of everything that I need to get done.

2. Prioritize: We only have so many hours in a day; therefore it is so important that you rank things in order of importance to insure that everything gets done on time.

3. Get Enough Sleep: This is one of the most important factors in order to succeed in college. I definitely did not get enough of this last year and I know that it negatively affected my ability to stay alert during lectures.

4. Stay Healthy: Eating well and staying active will give you more energy throughout the day, and will also allow you to focus better in class as well as increasing your ability to sleep better.

5. Be Happy: My number one goal this semester is to be happy. Sometimes with the stress of classes and work its hard to find time to be happy. My goal is to try to find something everyday that makes me happy, whether its going out with friends, going for a run, or even just playing with my puppy! This year is a new start and its time to fill the days with happiness and positivity!

Leaving home after break was definitely sad but it was exciting to head back to the sunny blue skies and warm weather! This semester I am finally getting into my upper level meteorology classes which I am really looking forward to. My sorority Sigma Sigma Sigma also has recruitment coming up which will give me the opportunity to meet lots of new girls around campus! I will keep you updated on all my new classes, Sigma Sigma Sigma, The Women’s Ambassador Program, and all the interesting things around campus!

For now I will leave you with a picture of my puppy and I on our last day in New Hampshire playing in the snow!

Happy New Year and until next time!

-Kealey