One of my favorite parts of elementary school was returning to class after Christmas break and telling everyone what you got for the holidays. I’m sure there was a lot of unsavory comparing and contrasting going on, but I was always too stoked about the newest addition to my snow globe collection—which only came on Christmas—to care much that some other kid got a Playstation.

2020 has been a weird time for everyone, so I’m sure the celebrations weren’t quite what you expected. This is the first time I’ve ever celebrated a winter holiday away from my mom, which was tough because 1) I was not expecting that to happen this year and 2) no one else in this world will let me routinely destroy her kitchen equipment in my pursuit to make the perfect lebkuchen.

So, hell—it’s a weird year. Why not get together and compare notes on your gifts like this is first grade all over again?

I turned my Christmas into a collaborative effort for everyone to buy me work stuff. Very exciting, I know. But with a GoPro and a podcasting microphone, I will actually be able to set my Big 2021 Plans in motion and explore some different mediums that’ll appeal to the fine folk out there who aren’t as keen on reading words as they are on listening to them or watching videos.

I also asked for some crochet hooks and yarn because it’s probably time to start a hobby that isn’t, y’know… work.

But I think the best gift I got was a week off. I truly cannot remember the last time I literally did not do one single ounce of work for an entire week. I work three jobs. I’m in grad school full time for two degrees. I’m working on a book and a research thesis. It’s a good day if I get to call it quits at five o’clock instead of powering through until I can’t keep my eyes open anymore. It’s about time I took a damn break.

Everyone keeps telling me, “Elizabeth you need to friggin’ relax because you’ll be so much more productive if you just take a day every once in a while to chill” but I am a stubborn ass who doesn’t listen. And guess what? After five beautiful days of nothing but baking, smoking meat, donating to people who needed it, playing Animal Crossing, lounging on the couch, and sampling wines I’ve never heard of, I’m a new man. Crazy how people can be right about stuff.

So, what did you get?