It’s that time of year again; time for sweaters, turkeys, peppermint mocha-whatever’s, and long and draining trips home from school. Many of you will shortly be leaving your nice little liberal NYC bubble to go home for the first time in a few months, and it can be rough. Whether you’re going to spend break avoiding running into people from high school or dealing with questions from family members (“Do you have a boyfriend?”, “Have you figured out what you’re going to do when you graduate?”, “Brooke, you do improv? Do some right now.”) I’ve got some tips for you.
Phone Chargers- As a general practice you should always have a phone charger in your bag at all times, but this is especially important during the holidays. If your phone dies, you can’t use it. People will know you’re touching a dark screen. BONUS: If you’re hosting a family gathering, keep a phone charger either in your pocket or hide one in a bathroom (or any room you anticipate will turn into a hiding space). This will save your life. You have no idea how much battery the Netflix app uses until it’s too late.
Offer To Run Errands- Any time someone needs something, offer to take care of it. Take as long as you can. Even if you sit in the Walgreens parking lot for 48 minutes and listen to 1989 in it’s entirety before bringing ranch dressing back to your aunt’s house. Getting fresh air can make so much of a difference.
Do Homework*- DON’T SKIP THIS ONE HEAR ME OUT. Homework is legitimate. Finals are coming up and you’re lying to yourself and everyone else if you don’t think you would benefit from writing a paper or two over Thanksgiving break. Most people will leave you alone if you’re actually sitting with your laptop writing a paper (instead of Facebook or Netflix). Plus, throughout December, you’ll have so much more time to relax and go do Christmas things because you’ll have less to do.
*This one doesn’t work over Christmas or January break
Play Your New Favorite Game- I came up with an incredible game to play at family gatherings. This works for any time of the year and it’s really easy. Every time somebody says something racist/sexist/homophobic, eat a dessert. It’s like a drinking game but better because the more ignorant things your family members say, the less desserts there are for them to eat. You are rewarding yourself and punishing them at the same time.
Be Smart About Going Places- Going out in public can be risky over break, because all of the horrible people you went to high school with are also on break. You never know who you might run into and want to avoid when you go out in public. I personally live within 20 minutes of 3 different Wal-Marts, but I never go to the one 5 minutes away from my house without backup (either my Mom, Sister, or a close and trusted friend). The further away from your town you go to, the better. If you can’t, use the buddy system.
Stick With People You Do Like– The best way to get through the holidays is to find the people you like and just stick to them like glue. Find that cousin, that uncle, or your grandma and hang out with them the entire time. You’ll have so much more fun avoiding people with someone else than if you’re alone. If you have absolutely nobody, tweet me (@brookeanne) and I’ll be your friend!
I promise we will all make it through the holidays. It might be tough, but after a few large meals and awkward encounters, we’ll all be back in the city in no time, complaining about tourists together.