Six days of winter break found me in a car, traveling happily cross-country from New Jersey to San Diego, Calif. on a trip I won’t soon forget. I learned as much as I experienced on this trip, and I’d like to share with you the ways this trip changed me and the enlightment it helped me to attain, from start to finish.

Welcome back to another semester!

The Mosaic staff hope you all had time to relax and had as much fun as our editors did. For this special back to school edition, we wanted to bring you along to experience the sights we’ve seen since you heard from us last.

Bah! Humbug.

In the past few days, I have heard of women trampled at Walmart in search of $29 DVD players, some guy who beat up a lady in the parking lot because she looked at his wife funny in the check-out line, and once again the ACLU is threatening lawsuits over a few statues on a lawn.

And we call this Christmas. Who needs it?

We have all seen it coming. We see the commercials, the decorations that smother the stores, and all the sales and promises of “buy four get one free” gifts. Let’s face it – the holiday season is here. Whether or not you get goose bumps at the sight of Christmas lights, or cringe and start to feel the anxiety rise and get to your spirit.

When we return to posting the week of Jan. 21, Mosaic’s editors will begin a travel series detailing just where we have spent our break, and we want to know where you’ve been too.