It’s that time of year again, where finals are in progress. We all look forward to the finale,… It’s that time of year again, where finals are in progress. We all look forward to the finale, when we can make an escape from rigorous classes, our part-time jobs, the roommates or friends that we might just need a little time away from, and most commonly, we can escape to our homes where we can relax with family and get together with the people who have gotten lost among the mix of distance and harsh schedules.

Among the ugly sweater parties and basement get-togethers, we have to chance to reconnect with our old high school friends, and even our lovers. With our bodies aching with stress, looking for a way to loosen up isn’t a particularly bad idea. And hey, it’s winter break — with no homework to worry about, a little fun is definitely in order.

That’s why it’s not a surprise to anyone when they don’t find Mommy kissing Santa Claus under the tree, but instead see you and your old flame glowing like the lights that cover the neighborhood houses.

What can you expect? After months of time spent in the city, unless you’re from a spectacular area, going home doesn’t offer the most exciting choices of entertainment. I can personally relate in that my hometown offers only a movie theater and a bowling alley. So at the end of the night, when other options refuse to present themselves, it’s no wonder why everyone’s cell phones are “blowing up” with texts and calls from those looking to do something, or someone.

Ex-boyfriends and girlfriends aren’t the only ones playing this game. There’s the hottie who decided to stick with community college, the older boy who might not have noticed you before you graduated, and for some people, the younger senior girl who has “grown up” and is just old enough to hit on. Either way, meetings are set up and people make use of their open schedules.

There are even a few people who start making moves in advance, making sure that they will have “opportunities” in place. My friend Erik Gertz says that, “It’s just so easy. I will text girls before I come home, and if I don’t, they will contact me. When we meet up, we just start flirting, and it goes from there. When I come back to school, we completely stop talking until I make the next trip home. It’s not like I purposely do it, it’s just like something different and exciting for me and the girl involved to do when the situation presents itself.”

Though I’m not completely against this process of going home and getting some, I recommend proceeding with caution, especially with former boyfriends or girlfriends. Attachment can easily be re-introduced, particularly if the split was a recent decision. If you have no good feelings about getting back together, just avoid hooking up altogether. You’ll thank me later.

For those who have other people on their wish list, be careful of the consequences. Though there is a small chance, I give the same warning. People get attached easily, and if consistent communication with this person is something you are not interested in, you might want to rethink your upcoming plans.

Above all, I’m not one to find things typically inappropriate. But I do find having sex or fooling around with someone still in high school to be totally tasteless, not to mention sometimes illegal. We are in a different time of our lives, a period of life that isn’t compatible with going to prom and after-school activities. I don’t care what the age difference might be, find someone else to have fun with.

Not to mention that, just like in high school, the same pertains to coming back from college. People like to talk, and your experiences won’t stay secret for long. If all of your friends getting on you or joking with you constantly doesn’t bother you, then feel free to open up to this trend. If gossip isn’t your thing, this situation isn’t either.

If you do decide to go for it, as always, wear protection. No one wants to find out that they have an STD or are going to have a baby with someone they barely speak to.

Let’s make it through finals, and look forward to the perks of being on break. However you decide to spend your break, relax and enjoy it. For those of you opting out of the above shenanigans, have a great holiday! And for the rest of you horny college kids, have a holly, jolly hook-up!

E-mail Leah at [email protected].