Holidays; The highlight of the school year. It is the most relaxing, free, and exciting day of the year. However, I have a love-hate relationship with school holidays. While I am always ecstatic about a break, I don’t always spend it the way I want to.

The first week of the holidays is always the best when I get to relax, sleep, and do whatever I want. However, after one more week or so, I get into a lazy, unproductive cycle that is difficult to escape from. My vacation days don’t give me the same exciting feeling after a certain amount of time. My days would consist of waking up, lazing around, eating, and maybe doing a few activities over and over again. After a while, things get repetitive and boring. It is so hard to be productive when you have no assignments to complete. Because I know I’ll be laying around every day, I have a list of things I like to do during the first week of break. One of the first things I do is make a bucket list of things I want to do and places I want to go to. It helps me plan my days out and makes me look forward to things throughout my holidays. Another essential thing is to plan something that will keep me busy. Over my summer vacation, I worked at my mom’s office, played volleyball, and swam. Doing all those things gave me a schedule that got me out of bed in the morning and pushed me out of the house. I also enjoyed doing things like cooking, painting, and decorating; things I don’t do often during school because I am busier. 

 

I usually get two main school holidays: winter and summer break. Summer break is the longest and the time when I normally travel. I also get other breaks for festivals like Dashain and Tihar but that is a different situation. Traveling is one of my favorite things to do. I love to explore and see new places. I get to experience new things and make new memories. When I do travel during the break, I plan my activities around it. I will have a list of things I want to do before my vacation and a to-do list to get me ready for school after my vacation. I do a lot of cleaning and resetting once I am back from vacation because I love getting my life together after I have had a whole bunch of fun. Restarting is refreshing and gets me prepared for my normal life. 

 

My favorite holidays are probably Dashain and Tihar holidays. I never fall into a lazy cycle because I have so many fun things to do. My family also always gets a break during that time so I always get to spend time with them. It is such an exciting time of year. I get to do all the traditions that come with the festivals while also getting a break from school. 

 

Despite all my complaints about how I spend my time during my school holidays, I never fail to get exhilarated about my next break. However, I do think having shorter and more frequent breaks would be better for me. It would prevent me from burning out and would help me be more consistent with things. The most relaxing breaks, in my opinion, are the two-days ones in the middle of the year. It feels the longest and I become more productive during those shorter breaks. I always make the best use of my time. I get to do the things I have been meaning to do for a while but am not bothered to do during school. It is like getting a two-day boost and an energy recharge. Nonetheless, it is not the holidays themselves but how I make use of it them that counts. 

 

Everyone deserves a break. Even with its cons, the break is an absolute necessity. What is your favorite holiday? Is there anything you do to stay productive?