So Wednesday was one of those days when I walked into class tired and worn out, ready for the holiday break ahead after the next week or so. Four good weeks of my phone not going off constantly, not running around all the time and not having to wait on sources to get back to me before story deadlines.

Let’s face it, by now, most of us students are pretty burned out from this school thing. Even the topic of this blog has stemmed from simply having nothing better to write about and not having a single other idea.

We get so caught up in keeping up and being on the go. Everything is mobile; from coffee and food in paper containers to having Facebook and email on our mobile devices to just keep up with everyone at home or here in Lethbridge.

For me personally, I have found that college involves a lot of on-the-go necessities like food that’s easy to take with you and water bottles and cell phones, in order to survive. That also includes keeping up with friends and family, more time on the phone and more Facebook time than actual face-to-face encounters. We start living vicariously through these virtual devices and tend to forget what a comforting human voice sounds like.

But think about it. Virtual hugs don’t replace a warm embrace from the friend you haven’t seen in months until you meet up at a coffee shop on a blizzard day. Nor does it replace the 3 a.m. escapades to the closest 24-hour Tim Horton’s when life gets tough and you just need to talk.

I have discovered one cure for the end-of-semester burn out when it hits, because sometimes it can hit hard when the last week comes around. The ingredients to this cure are more priceless than a text message: laughter, reminiscing, happiness, sharing life stories and anecdotes, the scent of coffee when you hug, and just leaving the rest of the world behind when you need the break.

It doesn’t have to cost money or sacrifice your grades. It’s just an hour or two on a Saturday afternoon when you need to get out. It’s catching up in real time with an old friend who thinks you’ve forgotten about them in your new school life when in fact you miss them like crazy. Or it’s a simple phone call back home to the people you love.

Hang in there. The semester is almost over and relaxation is around the corner. Until then, pick up the phone, make a coffee date, hear a human voice and get a hug and talk the afternoon away.

The rest of the world can disappear for a little while. At least until you get back to it. Everything will still be waiting for you when you get there.