Now that Thanksgiving has passed, it is time to get into the holiday spirit! That means listening to festive music, decorating your house, and praying for snow (though the last one is pretty unlikely in sunny San Diego). As a child, I always started off the Christmas season by brainstorming what I wanted to ask Santa for. This year, I figured I would continue the tradition, and share my picks with all of you. So, no matter what you are celebrating this winter holiday, prepare to enjoy my Christmas list, sent to Saint Nicholas himself. 

1. A Magic Brita

When I first came to college, I knew there would be some challenges. I thought that I would have trouble making friends, give in to bad study habits, or develop a terrible sleep schedule. And even though all of these expectations came true, none of them even came close to the trials of the Brita. I’m convinced the founders of the Brita company have set out to make my life a living hell. If the Brita is empty, I have to fill it. But do I shove it in the sink in my bathroom, or go through the effort of leaving the suite? Once I drink some water, do I leave it half empty, or take the long hike to the sink to refill it again? Do I put it in the fridge and leave no space for anything else, or keep it outside and drink room temperature water? Even now, as I’m typing this, the water filter mocks me from the corner of my desk. I’m asking Santa for a new and improved Brita that refills and cleans itself. Hopefully, it will solve all my problems in life. 

2. A Laundry Machine

If Santa truly knows who has been bad or good, I hope that whoever keeps on moving my laundry gets on the naughty list and stays there. Doing the laundry myself is already such a trial that takes so much effort (and a lack of clean clothes) for me to actually do it. But coming back to see my wet clothes placed on the counter and replaced with someone else’s makes it so much worse. I mean yes, I am aware that I forgot to set a timer and other people need to do their laundry too. And yes, I also know that I cannot expect people to wait five hours for me to take my clothes out. But can they not see how difficult it is for me to do my laundry? They should all have some sympathy, seeing that nobody else knows the struggle of doing laundry the way I do. So I’m asking Santa for my own washing machine so I can finally wash my clothes in peace. 

3. My Dining Dollars Converted into Triton Cash

As a full-grown adult, I think I am mature enough to start asking Santa for money. But here on UC San Diego’s campus, the standard U.S. dollar means nothing to me compared to the far more valuable currency of Triton Cash. You can truly use it for anything: food, laundry, vending machines, and more! When I grow up, I hope to have millions of dollars in Triton Cash, just so I can spend it all at Blue Pepper, my favorite restaurant here. It is a great gift option, considering that Santa doesn’t even need to spend his own money on this gift. He can simply convert my Dining Dollars. I’ve seen it done before, and I really don’t mind some of my Dining Dollars being taken away. No disrespect to any of the dining halls here, but I am simply tired of their food. Plus, I have the larger dining plan option and I probably won’t use all of it anyways. So if Santa could just go into my TritonLink and get me more Triton Cash, that would be great. 

4. A (Completed) Journal

I know, this seems fairly simple compared to the other things I’ve asked for, but hear me out. I’m not just asking for a regular journal; I want Santa to give me a journal that has already been written in. A diary, bullet journal, whatever! I do not care as long as it is filled with something. My room is already too cluttered with journals that I said I would write in and use as memorabilia for my grandchildren, only to have them lie blank and empty due to lack of effort. I see videos all the time taunting me with the benefits of journaling, knowing deep down that I could never do it. Just once I would like to have a journal that is already completed. A journal that I could show to my peers and say: “Hey, look what I made!” If I could pretend, for just a moment, that I have the ability to actually journal, then maybe my life will come together like all those self-help videos said it would. 

So that’s my Christmas list this year. I hope that you enjoyed it, and maybe even found some inspiration for your own wish list. If not, it doesn’t matter, because this list is really only meant for one person, Saint Nick himself. And Santa, when you read this, please give me what I’ve asked for. I worked hard on being a good kid all year, and if you could leave these things underneath the tree, you would make this the best holiday season ever!

Photo courtesy of Samuel Holt from Unsplash.