Break, Break, Break!

Spring break is so close I can taste it. I can't even express how happy I am to be going home in 3 days. I have been home twice since the start of the school year, for Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, and it always feels good to be going home. I made the decision to go to college so far from home partly because I wanted to get away from the places I knew and attempt to find myself. Now that I have been away from home by myself I realize how much home means to me. I can still feel that tug toward the town and house I've known for the majority of my life. Part of me still resides there.

Going home for spring break brings a few stresses with it, though. I need to pack up everything I need that's not also at home, plus a few things to take home (to get a head start on packing up at the end of the year), and you can't forget my dirty laundry. At least I will be washing that myself - I can't remember the last time my mother washed my clothes for me. I also need to clean up my room a bit so it's not a mess when I come back. Finally, I need to complete all the tasks on the list the RA's give us before we leave. That includes taking out the trash, unplugging all appliances (except the mini fridge), and locking my windows and door. I'm sure they make us unplug everything as a safety precaution, but it's also a great energy saving task. Energy used by devices left plugged when not in use accounts for about 10% of a household's electricity use. That's enough energy to get a free month of electricity each year. The easiest solution to this is two words: power strips. Plug devices and appliances into one and turn off the power strip when not in use. It's much more convenient than unplugging single devices. Even turning the power strips off at night would make a difference in your electric bill. So today, my props go my college for making us unplug almost everything in our rooms before leaving for a break. Good job DC. :]

From my power strip to yours,

-Trinka