The longest holiday post you'll ever read...

I don't think I have ever craved or needed Christmas break as much as I did in 2012 (well, at least since my days as an undergrad student). With my growing role on my team and an intense grad school program in full swing, this past season proved to be one of the hardest I've ever experienced. And so, I milked every single ounce of rest and fun that came with my 10 days of vacation!

CHRISTMAS EVE & DAY

This year traditions switched up a bit as the Torres crew migrated over to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at my sister and brother-in-law's new home (my parents have ALWAYS hosted). It was completely low-key and so fun!

I was so in love with our church's Christmas services - I cried during all 5 services that I attended - that after dinner & cookie decorating (to leave for Santa) I convinced all the grown-ups to watch Saddleback's service online at 11pm...they loved it just as much as I did!

Christmas morning has to be one of my favorite days of the entire year. Mostly because I love seeing everyone's faces as they open gifts. My favorite gifts to give this year were concert tickets. I got my parents tickets to see their favorite Mexican singer who is retiring this year. The gift was ridiculously expensive but SO WORTH IT. I bought my sister concert tickets to Boyz II Men (I get to go with her!). Their reactions were priceless.

We spent the rest of the morning eating leftovers, playing Just Dance and toasting Christmas with our tiny, bottled Cokes.

I met up with friends later that night for dinner and a movie (a Christmas tradition that is 8 years strong). We saw Les Miserables and encountered some divas in the audience: When asked if the seat next to him was free (in an almost-full theater), the movie-goer next to us responded, 'It is, but my friend will probably move over a spot to not have to sit next to you'. Still, it was so good.

The rest of my week was spent drinking horchata lattes at my favorite coffee shop in L.A., having dinner with best friends, shopping with my mom, chatting with my dad, and even taking a solo afternoon trip to the Norton Simon Museum to see this beauty who is visiting from Washington, D.C.

NEW YEAR'S EVE & DAY

This New Year's Eve was quite possibly my favorite one to date. The afternoon was spent in Little Tokyo having sushi, followed by a Starbucks run that then led my great friend and I to Angel's Knoll in Downtown L.A. We sat and chatted as we reflected on the past year and shared our hopes for the year to come. I loved being able to relax in a quiet moment before the shenanigans of the night. And Angel's Knoll is so lovely in its own way (as we sat, sipping our $5 Starbucks drinks, a homeless man slept on the patch of grass 5 feet away from us). I appreciate how Los Angeles houses people from all walks of life. But that's a post for another day.

My parents hosted a huge NYE party this year and so the craziness began early on at our house. By 7pm, the house was filled with family and friends :: eating, dancing, chatting, laughing, joking...but a highlight was definitely my aunt's famous buñuelos.

We rang in the new year with dancing and hugging and Martinellis...it was the best! As soon as the excitement mellowed down (1am), I quickly got my overnight bag and made it over to one of my best friend's (Damaris) houses for her annual NYE party. As part of tradition, we stayed up all night long. We ate, karaoked, played Scrabble in Spanish and then headed to Manhattan beach to have our first Starbucks of the year and see the morning sun. It was perfect.

2 out of the 5 of the all-nighter crew couldn't hang and so went straight to bed after the beach. Damaris, Dory and I headed to iHop for a delicious breakfast. The rest of the day was spent on my parents' couch, napping on and off with meals in between.

Seriously, the best break ever.