Students find ways to enjoy the wintertime

The season of winter brings many holidays and festivities; families enjoy delicious Christmas meals together, and everyone anticipates opening presents. With this holiday cheer, many Saratoga students find fun ways to spend the glorious two weeks of winter break, whether by themselves or with families and friends.

To compensate for the lack of snow in Saratoga, some students go to places like Lake Tahoe to ski and snowboard. Senior Cameron Borch finds time once or twice each year to go skiing with his family and friends.

“I enjoy [skiing] because of the excitement of going fast down the slopes and dodging obstacles,” Borch  said. 

Other students like sophomore Felicia Hung, who has gone on cruises for the past four years, find time every year to go on vacations out of town. 

“I have gone twice to Mexico and once to the Caribbean,” Hung said. “This winter I am going to Hawaii and Mexico.”

Hung travels to have new experiences and ease the stress that comes with school.

“[I like going on vacation] because it’s really relaxing and puts your mind off of school,” Hung said. “You don’t have to worry about anything, and you are not reminded of your own town because you are in a foreign place.”

Back at home, many others enjoy spending time in the kitchen. Such is the case for sophomore Corinne Bryan, who enjoys staying indoors and baking with her family.   

“I love baking because it is a good way to pass time when I have nothing else better to do,” Bryan said. “It is always fun for me to try new things, and [the process] is satisfying because I feel like I did something that is worth my time.”

 Other students, like sophomore Nithika Arunkumar, prefer to use their free time to watch favorite TV shows.

“[I like to] watch ‘Doctor Who’ in a pile of blankets on the couch while drinking hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows,” Arunkumar said. “It’s a good way to keep myself warm and entertained at the same time.”

Similarly, freshman Isaac Tang keeps himself busy by playing the video game League of Legends on the computer.

“[I play around] four hours a day,” Tang said. “[League of Legends] doesn’t get old because it is always a new and interesting experience with the different team compositions and new players.”

With the holiday season comes many sales, and senior Stephanie Chu enjoys taking advantage these while going holiday shopping even though it sometimes “tempts [her] to buy something for [herself].”

“I definitely enjoy winter fashion more than summer fashion mainly because of the sweaters, scarves and other [clothes],” Chu said. 

For many students, the winter is more than just staying at home, braving the cold, and worrying about the last semester’s grades.

“Winter is a time to enjoy yourself with friends and family,” Arunkumar said. “There are so many holidays and other things to celebrate.”