When the air turns cold and the weight of your blankets makes your bed feel impossible to leave, the thoughts of that missing math homework or your biology lab begin to blow away in the wind. But when your parents surprise you with tickets to Oregon Zoo’s Zoolights and the groceries are filled with peppermint pretzels and hot chocolate, your happiness and motivation to look at your Canvas to-do list comes flooding back. Suddenly you no longer want to wallow in your bed and binge your comfort shows instead of writing that research paper, because it’s time to enjoy some holiday treats!

The trip to the Oregon Zoo with sweaters, coats, hats, gloves, scarves and hand warmers all becomes worth it when you see that big yellow cart with “Elephant Ears” across the top. One bite into the cinnamon-sugary goodness and the seasonal depression and loss of motivation just floats a cry way! I guess my parents were right when they said my winter sadness really wasn’t that serious – nothing a little peppermint mocha couldn’t fix. Wash those sweet treats down with some steamy hot chocolate and suddenly those English interactions feel doable! 

Peppermint Hershey’s Kisses are the icing on the cake when it comes to my bliss-filled winter, and I no longer feel the desire to drop all my classes when I am sugared up on chocolatey-peppermint goodness. Those chocolate advent calendars and Jolly Rancher candy canes can always do the trick and keep me away from that seasonal depression. It looks like this year we will be eating away our sadness once again!