As I type this I am sitting in my parents living room admiring a beautiful Christmas tree with a warm fire providing a special type of welcome and peace that can only be obtained for me at the house I grew up in. After a trek across the nation I am back home.

Although I started this morning in just about the easternmost point of the country, I arrived in Spokane in the early afternoon. Due to the magic of time zones, short layovers, and a travel day that started at 5:40 a.m., my plane touch downed in the Lilac City at 1:03 p.m. local time.

While I did have two weeks off when I transitioned from jobs in April of this year, I have never experienced two weeks off while employed in a certain position. In fact, in the past, such a luxury was such a far off fantasy that I never thought of such a possibility. But because of Coastal Carolina University’s friendly and accomodating faculty/staff holiday schedule, I have a full week off. Add on the annual leave that I have finally managed to accumulate and I was able to stretch my holiday break to two weeks by adding a couple days before and after the one week given by CCU.

Don’t expect too much out of my unprecedented freedom. I am looking forward to just spending the 14 days celebrating the holidays with my family in this average-sized Washington town. Enjoying Christmas, watching the bowl games, seeing my niece, hanging out with my brother, and relaxing are top on my to-do list.

Although I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one very special aspect of this homecoming of mine. For a few days after the Christmas holiday my girlfriend will be coming to town. Having never seen the western United States nor even seen actual accumulated snow, it should be an eye-opening and fun trip for Sidney. I am excited to introduce to her my family and show her where I came from. After all, it is the very least I can do after she has done such an amazing job doing the very same thing for me in Myrtle Beach.

I am home for the holidays, Spokane! I hope to see some faces that I have missed. Don’t be afraid to contact me through social media, this blog, or through text. It is going to be a rejuvenating two weeks! Don’t Blink.