There are countless articles written about Thanksgiving and college. Articles range from what to expect your first Thanksgiving back, to the literal FAQs that your family that you haven’t seen since the last Turkey Day have for you. So instead of regurgitating everything you’ve probably already heard and read, I’m going to take a different approach. I’m going to tell you some of the best things about going home for one of my favorite holidays, and why we should all really be thankful on Thanksgiving.
First off, you probably haven’t seen your family in months. For some of us, this is a blessing. For others, it’s probably the first time you’ve ever really had to be on your own. And for those of you who fall in the middle ground like me, a little alone time away from your family allows you to clear your head, but you still miss them like a New Yorker in D.C. misses bagels. I mean, with my family, it’s not a holiday until some one gets upset, which probably isn’t the best thing, but is still unique to my family.
Either way, you should be over the moon to see your family again. It’s the one holiday where everyone you haven’t seen in months, or even since that last Thanksgiving, gets to be under the same roof. Even if your family puts the fun in dysfunctional–like mine–it’s still something you should be grateful for. No one will ever be around for you or support you as much as your family does. So keep that in mind when you head home this year.
The second, and by far my most important, thing to be thankful for is food. You’re probably thinking that I’m insane. Being thankful for food on a holiday that is centered around food? That’s a no-brainer. Stuffing, turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes… What could be better!? But take a minute and think of the people who are spending this Thanksgiving worrying about how they will feed their families. That’s a legitimate struggle that more people than you think face each day. So, before you take a bite out of that turkey leg that you wrestled your sibling for, remember that there are people out there who may not be salivating over a meal that their entire family cooked this year.
Thirdly, and finally, the post-Turkey Day left overs. Again, it’s a no-brainer. My favorite part is eating the left over stuffing in the fridge the next day for breakfast. It sounds weird but trust me–I find that there is no better feeling. You also have set meals for the next week; you don’t have to worry about what you guys are going to eat for dinner with that left over turkey in your fridge. The overal best part though is when there are enough left overs that your family packs you some to take back to school with you. Last year, I had food for a solid week in my fridge. There was no better feeling than not having to scavenge for food like every other college student like me who has the unique ability to mess up a bowl of cereal.
So before you prep for the influx of questions coming in from family members you haven’t seen since you were 9 months old, or brace yourself for the sudden change of finally going back home, take a minute and be thankful. Be thankful that you have a place to go for the holiday, a family that loves you to come home to, and so much food that you can literally eat your body weight in food and still have left overs.