Winter Break

My third semester at the University of Missouri finished in the whirl-wind known as finals week. It's a week filled with endless flashcards, reviewing notes and crossing your fingers about final examinations. Fall semester treated my very well, I ended with a 3.9 GPA and a spot on the Dean's List. With the worry of my studies behind me I prepared for my next life adventure: winter break.

Collegiate winter breaks are a time of bliss. It's a chance to go home, see family and friends, work and do a bit of traveling. But, five weeks off (yes, five whole weeks!) can get old fast. Last year I spent my first college break trekking through the jungles of Costa Rica on a study abroad tour for science and agricultural journalism field reporting. I knew it would be hard to top my first international experience. 

In my typical over-obsessive style, I planned out each week of my break.

Week 1: Winter training for National Collegiate Agriculture Ambassadors. Destination: Jacksonville, Florida. 

Week 2: CHRISTMAS week! Filled with family time, eating my heart out, catching up with friends. 

Week 3-4: Vacation to Mexico/South Padre Island/ San Juan, Texas. Perfect chance to visit my snowbird grandparents. (That means they winter in Texas every year.) 

Week 5: Attend the Dickinson Scholars Program where I have been selected to represent the University of Missouri and CAFNR. 

Break was a rousing success. Highlights included seeing a dear friend from Oregon, Kyhla Rynolds, visiting a new country (Mexico, yay!), playing with Teddy on the Brammer family farm and being able to visit a new beach, South Padre Island. Unfortunately, all good things must end. It was back to reality and college life for this Traveling Aggie.