Our favorite time of the year has arrived: winter break! This year we have two full weeks off and with a million memories to be made over that period, from travel of all sorts to cozying up at home, let’s see what the students of Jackson-Reed plan to do with their justified time away from the stress of school.

For those who know how to ski or snowboard, the break can turn into an exciting trip to the slopes. Sophomore Stacia Sharma Manning shared, “my cousins and I are going to Okemo mountain in Vermont to ski.” Although happy about the entirety of the break, she’s most excited for the winter sports side of things, saying, “I’m hyped because I’m going to learn how to do a flip on my snowboard.” For her, and many others, the draw of skiing and snowboarding is too good not to take up during the time off, and there’re few better ways to spend the holidays than on a mountain.

A couple students have plans to travel abroad over winter break. “My family and family-friends are going to Mexico over New Years which I’m super excited for because it’ll be warm and a fun way to spend the holidays,” said senior Tommy Gore. Sophomore Leah Fletcher also shared her plans to go abroad, “the day after Christmas my family and I are going to Florence, Italy, for a little bit and that should be fun!” It’s safe to say that any amount of travel is something to look forward to and is easily welcomed over winter break.

While the break offers great travel opportunities, lots of students are spending their holidays here, enjoying the serenity of DC without constant academic strain. Freshman Anne Trieu plans to spend the break at home with her family, saying, “My cousins are coming into town and they’re pretty nature-y, so we’ll probably go walk in a forest or something fun like that.” Even just staying here with friends and family visiting can be beyond fun as it can be a great opportunity to show them around DC all lit up for the holidays. Junior Simon Aboulafia agreed, saying, “the holidays are probably going to be pretty chill, I’ll hang out with some friends and then I think we’re going to my friend’s house in Virginia.” Just as showing friends around DC can be enjoyable, it can also be fun to take a mini trip to spend time with people you don’t see very often.

Whether you have plans to travel or stay at home, one thing is for sure: everyone is excited for the break and to spend the holidays with friends and family. We hope you all have a great winter break, and don’t forget to come back to school on the fifth! •