Bring in the Holidays with Tea!

At the moment I am drinking tea and listening to my vast (or not so vast, depending on whose music libraries mine is compared to) collection of Christmas music. It feels like the perfect way to spend a slightly chilly -- Yes, I'm a wimp, I'm in Southern California so 59 is a bit on the cold side -- afternoon on the Sunday before classes resume on Monday after a lovely Thanksgiving few days. I find myself wanting more and more to pursue awesome things like grad school and traveling to far off exotic places. Yes, I understand I grew up someplace that to here is far off and potentially exotic, but this new desire is not so much a wish to run away from here but to embrace life and living and to learn as much as I can about people. Also I've just noticed my extended family slowly dispersing and feel less and less of a need to stay in California in order to be near family. Most of the cousins closest in age to me have moved on to other places - Alaska, Pennsylvania, Maryland - and so why should I limit myself to someplace that I have family connections? I have friend connections everywhere.
Speaking of travel, I will be traveling soon! I have flown once since being in college, to Texas to visit one of my closest friends from high school. I get to fly for a second time in about three weeks to return to the Philippines to see my parents and my old haunts for about a month. I'm really excited about that. I haven't been back since I graduated high school... and being away from home -- or at least one version of home -- for two and a half years surely makes the trip long over due. :)