It’s no surprise that after I started living at Stevenson, I developed an appreciation for the holiday season. As I joined other students and faculty at Dr. Hicks’ house for the annual Hot Cocoa and Caroling event–which I forgot to RSVP to but showed up at anyways despite my shame and embarrassment–I got a taste of the warmth of the community that welcomed me within the first months of my arrival to this new place. In the next few years, I've come to appreciate the holiday cheer–and for a lot more than just the hot drinks and sweet treats that come along with every party. 

“Inhale for one… two… three… And exhale through your mouth.” The room filled with a harmony of “Ah”s, with a few giggles here and there. I felt my shoulders drop and my head tilt slightly upwards as I breathed out. A tingle trickle down my spine as I sat a little taller. It was a Thursday night, and I was skipping study hall for the Atheneum Mindfulness Event. In that moment, I couldn’t bring myself to think more about the college applications and AP English essays that had loomed over my thoughts for the past week. Instead, I turned my focus to the rise and fall of my shoulders as I breathed in and out.

The sound of a bell fluttered through the air as I pushed open the front door, and the five of us filed into the small, cozy waiting area of Il Vecchio. Here I was again, but graduation had happened four months ago, and the new school year had started.

Every time you eat, you create a story. In that sense, food is what makes me happy. It helps me remember the simplicity of happy memories associated with good food, especially when I know that the time I spend with those around me is limited. Just last week, I was at Il Vecchio, a small Italian restaurant famous for their handmade pasta and gelato, with some of my senior friends, who were about to graduate in two days.