The 31 Best Things About Going Home For The Holidays

1. It’s like a vacation, but with a free hotel.

2. Waking up, stumbling out of bed, rubbing sleep out of your eyes, and realizing that breakfast is already waiting for you.

3. Nobody will ever love you as much as your parents’ dog loves you.

4. Nothing will ever beat your parents’ cooking. It’s like Seamless, but made with love.

5. When your parents email you asking if you’d like anything in particular in the fridge, there is a glorious moment in which you wonder if this is how Beyonce feels when somebody asks for her rider.

6. Sleeping in. Even in a twin-sized bed, sleeping in is sleeping in.

7. Borrowing clothes from your siblings means that for a few days, your wardrobe choices triple.

8. If you rent an apartment, there is a very specific tranquility in being able to walk out into your parents’ backyard with a warm cup of coffee in the early morning (even if it’s freezing out.)

9. You only have to interact with the people from high school who you WANT to see.

10. If you’re extra-super-really nice to your mom, she may just do your laundry for you. (Consider it an extra present, she really shouldn’t have to do your laundry.)

11. That triple-chin, wide-eyed, mid-sneeze look on your father’s face when he catches you watching trashy reality TV. That look puts all other snapchats to shame.

12. … and then you notice that he’s getting kinda into the Kardashians, which means you get to tease him about it for-EV-er.

13. Your parents’ bar is essentially open bar.

14. Your neighbors only hear when your parents brag about you, so even if life is a little tough right now, they’ll think you’re really nailing the whole adulthood thing.

15. The moon and stars always look a little nicer from the vantage point of the place where you grew up.

16. If you forget a toothbrush at your apartment, you know your parents have you covered. They’re cool like that.

17. Chances are good your parents got a real Christmas tree, and not that post-ironic Charlie Brown reusable tree from Urban Outfitters you’ve relied on for the past five years.

18. One word: dishwasher.

19. Curling up in your corner of the the couch with a big mug of hot chocolate is an unparalleled feeling of coziness.

20. All those prime photo opportunities for #throwbackthursday.

21. Your younger cousins, nieces, and nephews will always look up to you like you’re the coolest person ever.

22. Your parents’ pantry is always filled with the best kind of snacks.

23. Actually seeing your extended family means they’re going to get you presents. It’s easier for your aunt to send you a card and call it a day when she lives 3,000 miles away, but if you see her in person? She’s gonna get you something.

24. At the very least, patiently tolerating Grouchy Uncle Phil’s completely ignorant remarks means you get to put “level-headed in times of extreme conflict” on your resume.

25. When you pack for your trip, you make sure to take the extra-big suitcase in preparation for all the gifts you’re bringing back with you.

26. If you go out to dinner, your parents will probably pay. (But if you’re doing alright financially, you should pay. It’ll feel really good to treat the people who changed your diapers and put up with that whole teenager phase.)

27. Sure, you could run around a hotel in your pajamas if you really wanted to, but when you’re at home, you can do it without judgment.

28. Raiding the sales the day after Christmas is always fun, but raiding the mall where you hung out as a teenager will hit you right in the feels.

29. She may outwardly protest, but you know Mom put those cookies out in the kitchen to have for breakfast.

30. As you get older (read: more mature) you begin to realize exactly how funny and cool your parents are, and you’ll savor the little moments when you can hang out with them as people, not just as your parents.

31. But there’s still nothing like getting one of those extra-long hugs from the people who love you most of all.