Your hometown bucket list for break

Now fall semester has come to an end, UNC students have headed home for the holidays.

Between catching up on sleep and eating non-dining hall meals, there are a few things you may want to do since you’re home. Here’s a bucket list we’ve put together for the college student back in their hometown over break.

Visit your hometown friends

After four months apart, there’s nothing quite like seeing the people you grew up around. Drive (or walk) over to their house and spend hours chatting about all the hometown gossip.

Tell them all about your time at UNC, and maybe persuade them into applying. Whether you’re 40 minutes or 40 hours away from your people, there’s no better feeling then reconnecting after so long.

Eat at your favorite restaurant

For those of you who live in Smalltown, USA, you know exactly what I’m talking about. There’s that special little place around the corner that you visited frequently growing up. Even if you’ve had bad memories there, that restaurant is always worth the trip down memory lane.

Shop at your favorite clothing store

If you’re like me, you’ll eventually find yourself at your favorite store spending all the money your family just gave you for Christmas. The best part about winter break is that my hardest decision is between a cream knitted sweater or dark wash jeans rather than between an A or B on my Biology final.

Visit your favorite teacher

There will always be that one high school teacher you loved a little more than all of the others. Add visiting him or her to your home bucket list.

Pay them a visit, maybe bring them some Starbucks and thank them again for all the supportive texts that got you through this semester. And if they have really cute kids, offer to babysit. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.

Visit your old sports team

For me, the best part of high school was my dance team. Whether it’s dance, football or the newspaper, there was something you were a part of that holds a special place in your heart.

Visit those people. Remind them of how much they missed you, or in my case, how much you missed them.

Read a book you’ve been putting off

We all have that one book we’ve been putting off reading because our fall semester got super busy. Find a nice day to read that book with some hot chocolate or coffee.

I recommend Yes Please by Amy Poehler for a good laugh and some inspiration for next year. Or the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling for the third time. You’ll remember how much you love reading for fun, rather than reading 50 pages in a Psychology textbook.

Head to your favorite coffee shop

Whether it’s Starbucks or a local coffee shop, there’s some place you spent most of your high school career staring at SAT books while drinking way too much caffeine. Visit that place and smile.

Those long hours studying got you to where you are, and that was definitely worth it. While you’re there, grab that non-fat soy milk vanilla latte you craved during finals.

Put on a Carolina blue shirt and cheer on the Heels

UNC plays Baylor December 29th in the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Even if you can’t make it to the game, you can find a nice sports bar or couch to cheer on your fellow Tar Heels.

The game will be at 5.30pm and broadcasted on ESPN. And if football’s not your thing, it’s always basketball season. We play UNC Greensboro on December 28th, Clemson on December 30th and Georgia Tech on January 2nd in the Dean Dome. It’s always a GDTBATH.

Spend 24 hours with your high school best friend

Some of us were lucky enough to come to UNC with our best friends by our sides. Some of us weren’t as lucky. If you weren’t, winter break is the perfect time to spend 24 hours with your BFF.

It’s always exciting spending time with your person. Grab lunch and visit the SPCA or spend all 24 hours chatting about how college has been. Tell them about all the time you spent in Davis. Or frat court. Your choice.

Last but not least, spend some time with your family

My biggest support system this semester has been my parents. I know I wouldn’t have made it without them. If this is your experience as well, spend some times with your biggest fans.

Take them to your favorite restaurant or stay in and watch a movie. Tell them all about your classes and your crazy new friends. Your family also includes your pets. Spend some time with your pets. Love them, hug them and let them know they weren’t forgotten.

Before you know it, it’ll be January and we’ll have to go back to 15-page papers and tests.

Home is where the heart is, so before your heart flies back to UNC, cherish every moment you have with loved ones, furry or not. You have a lot to be proud of, so strut around your hometown with Carolina pride and enjoy every minute of it. You deserve it.