By Matt PresserThe Daily Northwestern

There’s something about spending Winter Break in my warm and cozy house in sunny South Florida after a long Fall Quarter spent in the arctic Midwest.

Maybe it’s the feeling of stepping off an airplane and peeling off four layers of fleeces.

Maybe it’s spending Christmas Day lounging out by the pool.

Or maybe it’s hearing about the blizzards and snowstorms blanketing the North that makes me ever grateful to walk outside in a T-shirt and shorts.

Whatever it is, I have no doubt that spending part of the winter in the Sunshine State beats going sledding in Saint Paul or roasting marshmallows in Milwaukee.

(As far as I’m concerned, it even beats skiing in Montana with 940 of my classmates. See page 9.)

I mean, even if I have to spend the holidays surrounded by your and everyone else’s grandparents, I’ve figured out a trusty set of rules for life in an area where every other neighborhood is a retirement community: Traditional road rules don’t apply when the car next to you is somehow in three lanes at once, nightlife – as far as my town is concerned – begins at 7 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m., and restaurants should be avoided at around 4 p.m.

Don’t get me wrong – I appreciate the benefits to society that winter has given us.

Take hockey, for instance. Thankfully indoor ice rinks are all over the place, giving Floridians a few hours of winter fun in December before they retreat back out to the heat.

And “Winter Wonderfests.” (You’ll have to turn to page 15 to figure out what those are.)

I’m just saying that I’d rather be relaxing on the beach than chopping down trees so I can keep the fireplace running.

And just how do I know that spending New Year’s soaking up the sun tops cozying up to a radiator, like the students who are so eager to come back to NU that they’re returning early (page 16)?

Well, dear reader, as those who know me well will testify, I spent my first nine winters in Canada (hence, the hockey).

(You might be surprised how many of your classmates have spent their winters in other countries. Take, for instance, the ones interviewed on page 8.)

That time was full of snowmen and earmuffs and tongues getting stuck to metal poles on the playground.

I figure I’ve paid my dues.

Now, as I write this column over Thanksgiving Break, I’ve got a few more hours before the sun goes down.

But first, in this season of giving thanks, it seems fitting to shout out to a few kind Daily folk, without whose help this holiday guide wouldn’t have been possible.

Aside from the talented writers who contributed to this holiday issue and the excellent business office staff who made filling this paper much easier, there’s Christina from New York, Nomaan from Skokie, Lindsay from Maryland, Lauren and Jessica from California, and Ryan from Wisconsin.

Sadly for them, most will be spending their Winter Break in jackets and boots.

I can sympathize. After all, the ocean breeze can get pretty chilly.

We hope you enjoy this issue and wish you a very Happy Holidays. We’ll be back here on Jan. 4 to continue our coverage of NU and Evanston. See you then!

Holiday Guide Editor Matt Presser is a Medill sophomore. He can be reached at [email protected].