For many students, holiday breaks signal a pause from schoolwork and the fast-paced environment to go home to their families.
However, for Michigan State University students who are in-state, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a holiday breaks for them to go home. But, for students who are out-of-state, going home for a few days to escape the hustle and bustle of the school year usually isn’t possible.
Journalism junior Kelsey Grzymski, who is from a southern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, is only able to go home a few times out of the school year.
"I don't go home super often," Grzymski said. "It's mainly for breaks. Occasionally, during the spring semester, I'll go home for just a random weekend, because there's not as many breaks in the spring. But for fall semester, it's normally fall break, Thanksgiving and then Christmas."
Chinese junior Madyson Banyas, who is from Tennessee, will only be returning home for Thanksgiving break during the fall semester.
"The only time I'm going home this semester is for Thanksgiving, but my parents did come up to visit me a month ago, so it was really nice," Banyas said. "In total, I'll get to see them twice during the semester, but I'll only be going to them one time."
Electrical engineering freshman Nehemiah Witkovsky, who is from Virginia, won’t be returning home until winter break. He has only been home once, during fall break, but having extended family residing in Michigan has made it easier to adjust.
"I have a lot of family here in Michigan, so Michigan has always been my home away from home," Witkovsky said. "It hasn't really felt like I've been away from home, because I have like the rest of my family here, besides my parents and my siblings. So I don't think the transition has been super hard for me."
As a result of the rarity of these trips home for out-of-state students, holiday breaks can mean much more than just a pause on schoolwork. For Grzymski, going home for breaks means making more special memories with her family.
"Going home for the holidays is definitely very meaningful for me," Gryzmski said. "Growing up, holidays were always a big thing in my family, it was our main get together. We would see family members that we hadn't seen in a while, get together, (and) share a meal... So the holidays are definitely very meaningful for me, especially now that I'm in school and there is that distance between my family, and it just makes me that much more excited to go home for the holidays."
For Witkovsky, holiday breaks, to him, mean going back to a different part of himself.
"It's your home that you grew up in, and it's just like a part of yourself that you're going back to," Witkovsky said. "You're kind of going back to your roots, which helps you decompress from school, and helps you rejuvenate and get ready for the upcoming semester."
Grzymski also said returning home feels like returning to the past.
"I lived in the same house my whole life," Grzymski said. "I went to like the same schools (and) grew up with all the same kids. So going to school three and a half hours away was definitely a big change, and it just made me appreciate the suburb I grew up in, and my family even more."
Additionally, Grzymski said being away from home on the days leading up to the holidays can feel bizarre.
"I was actually just talking to my mom on the phone yesterday, and she was talking about how she was decorating the Christmas tree, and that was such a weird thing to hear her say, because normally, that's something we would always do together," Grzymski said.
For Banyas, the holiday season means returning to an atmosphere where she is loved.
"I just really love my family a lot, and it's really hard to be away from people that you love so much," Banyas said. "I've become a lot more independent, and I do enjoy having my own space, but it's also really difficult when they're so far away, and I can't just, you know, pop over and see them, or just walk downstairs and they're all hanging out in the kitchen or something. So it's really nice, and makes me realize how special it is to actually be able to spend time with them."
Grzymski said the holiday season means one special word to her.
"The holidays for me, honestly, just mean one word and it's ‘family,'" Grzymski said. "I'm just always so excited to see all my grandparents (and) my cousins. We have all of our traditions, my personal favorite is we do a big brunch on Christmas morning, and me and my cousins, we all sit like under the tree like we're little kids again, and we just open all of our presents and talk, and it's a lot of fun."
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While these moments of homecoming are special for out-of-state students, the rest of the year can be challenging. Banyas wishes in-state students knew about how lonely it can get for out-of-state students.
"We might need a little extra social support," Banyas said. "If you make friends with someone who's an out-of-state student, inviting them to hang out, or even if you're really close, like saying, 'Hey, do you want to come visit my hometown with me?' That goes a long way, I think. Especially if it's a holiday and they're not able to go home and they feel really lonely... you being the person to reach out to them really does a lot."
