GETTING INTO THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT =)

Christmas has ALWAYS been my favorite holiday. I can remember being so excited as Christmas day got closer. When you're a child, I think opening the gifts Christmas morning is what gets them more excited than anything else in the world;but as one gets older, Christmas represents so much more than just gifts. Christmas is a time we spent with relatives, talking about things that happened throughout the year,reminiscing about the past,planning the future,and being thankful for the present.

During this Christmas season, we should think more about others than ourselves. There are many people out there who do not have the luxuries that we have, men and women who will pass their Christmas morning in a shelter or sleeping on a sidewalk, children whose parents do not have the money to spend on buying them one toy. There are many places one can volunteer to help out the less fortunate. Go to http://www.volunteernewjersey.org/vnj/  to look for different volunteering opportunities. During this season,please always remember the saying, IT IS BETTER TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE.

Since the holiday parties are coming up, I cannot emphasize how important it is to not TEXT,DRINK,& DRIVE! December is NATIONAL DRUNK AND DRUGGED DRIVING PREVENTION MONTH! There are many things you can do to prevent someone from driving after a person has been drinking. If you see someone at a holiday party who obviously has had one too many drinks, check if they are at the party with someone else, if they are let the other person know to not let the person drinking to drive. If they are at the party alone,volunteer to drive them or call a taxi to take them home.DO NOT LET THEM GET BEHIND THE WHEEL! You do not want to be responsible for a person losing their life when you could have done something to prevent it. Holidays are meant for us to have a great time but not at the expense of one of us losing our life.  HAVE FUN,BE SAFE, & DON'T DRINK & DRIVE!


Finally, there are a few people I want to give SHOUT OUTS to! People who have made a difference in my life & I'm just so extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to have met them.

1. First off, my boyfriend, Jorge. He has been incredible source of strength for me throughout this year. There are just no words to express how wonderful this man is to me. I met him a little over a year ago and he's here to stay =) I LOVE YOU and thank you for just being you and loving me unconditionally!
2. Secondly, my best friends(aka twin),Evie & Ruben. I met Evie in my first criminal justice class at Berkeley and we have been friends ever since.There are so many things her and I can laugh about for hours. Ruben has been like a brother to me.He always knows how to give good advice at the moments when I needed it the most. BERKELEY WOULD NOT BE THE SAME WITHOUT THESE TWO....I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE SAME WITHOUT THEM.
3. Finally, to the rest of my friends whom  I have met at Berkeley: Lilly,Dale, Damon, Carol, & Michelle. You guys make my life so much easier with your funny stories and "blonde" moments! I know I can turn to every one of you with any problem. I love you guys and no matter where life takes us, I can just hope we stay friends for a lifetime.

SOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! BE THANKFUL,BE SAFE, HAVE A GREAT TIME!