Unfortunately, the winter break is over and we are all forced to go back to our normal, stressful, dreadful lives. That is the impression I have gotten from both students and teachers during these last few days. Of course, the fall term doesn’t end until next week, so we have a few more precious days of relaxation, however most teachers seem to be merciless enough to kickstart the year with new information and tasks.
Christmas was a bliss of sleeping and eating for me and probably for most of you. For me, the winter break is that happy time during the darkest part of the year when you don’t care that it’s cold outside because you spend your time relaxing with family and friends and avoiding all intellectual stimulation. After countless exams and deadlines piling up throughout December, the beginning of the holiday marks the end of an era. No more stress, no more work, no more early mornings and late afternoons. Then there’s New Year’s. That magical day every year that seems to change everything and nothing. Resolutions are made and broken, fancy outfits are worn and then hung in the closet for years to come, and nearly everyone drinks themselves into oblivion. It sounds as if I despise this strange holiday, but that is not the case, I love it. However, I can also see the stupidity behind it all. The night comes and goes, and the next morning no one, and I mean no one, is able to leave their homes. I travelled by bus across town at 8 in the morning on the 1st of January, and I have never seen Stockholm so empty.
As the days pass by, some of us start new vigorous exercise routines and diets, but most of us stay in our vegetative state as long as possible. What we sometimes forget however, is that the break is only two weeks long. This becomes increasingly obvious as we near the end. The last few days are spent obsessing over the looming spring term and clinging to our sofas and remotes, hoping it’ll all just go away. But then the Monday arrives, we force ourselves out of bed and return to the reign of terror we call school, with a truly bittersweet taste in our mouths.