The countdown is on. Adrenaline courses through your veins as we barrel toward the final stretch, and yes, finals. You probably curated a detailed playlist for your Thanksgiving break commutes, but now a new one is needed as the grind resumes. Something has to stop the days from blurring together as you guzzle Celsius and grapple with the reality of 4:30 p.m. sunsets. Just a few more weeks, and you’ll be free — at least from the grips of seasonal depression (for now). Then, it’s time to obsess over the less existential (but still pressing) question: What do you want for Christmas?
While I don’t celebrate the holiday, here’s a playlist of things I might hypothetically, figuratively and just slightly literally wish for if I did:
- Type O Negative: “Christian Woman”
“Forgive her, for she knows not what she does…”
Honestly, I don’t know if I want to be Peter Steele or be with him.
- Basement: “Covet”
“When I’m with you / I don’t want to be with you.”
That about sums up my tangled relationship with being in Ithaca during this peculiar time of year. It’s bittersweet — looking back on the stunning autumn we’ve enjoyed while mentally tallying how many times I’ve ordered a matcha latte with strawberry cold foam this semester. It’s been fun, but now the BRBs are dwindling, and I find myself yearning for the comfort of my childhood bedroom, where I can make my own drinks at leisure.
- Muse: “Sunburn”
“She burns like the sun / I can’t look away.”
I’ll admit it — I nearly got frostbite making a late-night trek to grab a bite from Louie’s Lunch. As I trudged back to my dorm, shivering and regretting every life choice that led me there, I couldn’t help but kick myself for not appreciating those bright, sunny days at the start of the semester. Safe to say, I took them for granted.
- Deftones: “Lotion”
“I can’t help it, it makes me so sick.”
I’m not kidding — I’ve already gone through three tubes of hand cream this semester. The constant battle against chronically ashy hands is no match for Ithaca’s unforgiving weather.
- Nirvana: “Downer”
“I feel very privileged in debt for my thirst.”
Given how much sleep I’ll need to catch up on after these next few weeks, I might just need a barbiturate.
- Slowdive: “When the Sun Hits”
“Come so far, don’t lose me / It matters where you are.”
Now is not the time to lose motivation. Sooner or later, you’ll find yourself sprawled on a picnic blanket on the Slope, thinking, “Maybe this isn’t so bad after all.”
- A Perfect Circle: “Pet”
“Just stay with me / Safe and ignorant.”
All I want for Christmas is to see my cat again. Honestly, I’ve considered registering for an emotional support animal more times than I’d like to admit this semester.
- Radiohead: “Just”
“You do it to yourself, you do / And that’s what really hurts.”
“I just need to make it through this week,” I tell myself every week. How many more “justs” do I have left in me? I’m hoping for at least a few more.
- Deftones: “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)”
“Far away, I don’t care where just far.”
Nobody talks about the nostalgia that hits when your mom asks if you want to run errands with her when you come home for break. Of course I do — are you kidding me? I know an OurBus hates to see me coming. All I want for Christmas is a chauffeur … but until that happens, I’ll be the one picking out the produce.
Aima Raza is a sophomore in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She can be reached at [email protected].
‘Solar Flare’ is a weekly playlist column where Sun contributors spotlight a slice of musical taste with the campus community. It runs every Monday.