After a semester of hard work and a week of final exams, students were looking forward to a long and revitalizing winter break in order to recharge for the return to school. While many stayed home for the holidays, to hibernate for the winter, others found themselves on exciting trips both local and abroad.  

For some students, winter break was a chance to make the most of their free time and travel.  Every year, one of the most popular destinations for winter break are the islands of Hawaii. 

“Our family goes to Hawaii pretty often, especially during winter. It’s a great way to escape the cold and we got to see a lot of cool stuff like a volcano erupting.” said Keaton Lai (‘24)

Although some students found themselves avoiding the winter weather, others took the opportunity to embrace the chill through snow sports.

“We don’t get much snow here in the Bay, so every time I get the chance to go up to Tahoe for a few days I make the most of it. I’ve been skiing for about six years now and it’s one of my favorite things to do. Nothing is quite as exciting as skiing down a mountain at a high speed, although it can be scary sometimes,” said Roy Kim (‘23).   

While many students found themselves on exciting adventures and vacations, others preferred to embrace the comfort of home and family. 

“I think the best way for me to kind of unwind and reset is just staying at home and sleeping in honestly. Between all the studying and testing it’s been exhausting and I think I just kind of need to not do anything for two weeks.” said Ishita Kottakota (‘24). 

Given the holiday season, many students traveled abroad to visit distant relatives and enjoyed their two weeks off in the company of family and friends. 

“It’s been quite a few years since I last visited my family in Kashmir. I had a great time with all of them, especially my cousins and nieces, they’ve all grown so much since the last time we met,” said Poorvi Sharma (‘24),