Thanksgiving. The time of year where you are surrounded by your loved ones, aka the only people who won’t judge you for eating your weight in mashed potatoes. It is arguably one of the most family friendly holidays, but with college comes change and one of the major ones is spending this day alone for the first time in eighteen years.
Spending the holiday solo is a foreign concept for me, but I am prepared to keep up with old traditions, and create some new ones of my own, to keep myself from experiencing some serious family fomo. So if you too will be in my position this holiday season, follow some of these tips to keep yourself festive on the best Thursday of the year.
1. Wake up to the parade
The though of waking up early on one of your first days off might seem like hell to you, but there is just something comforting about the oversized balloons and theatrical dance routines to get you in the spirit for the holiday season. Tune in on any of the local news channels, and if you’re really in the mood to veg out for longer, the National Dog Show follows the parade so you can see all your favorite puppers doing what they do best, be cute.
2. Recreate your favorite dish
Whether you’re planning on cooking a full Thanksgiving feast or scrounging off some turkey flavored ramen and leftovers, making your favorite Thanksgiving dish from home will put a smile on your face and your stomach will thank you. I personally will not be making a whole meal, but I picked up ingredients for my favorite side dishes; corn, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole, and I will be using my tiny dorm kitchen to my advantage. Top it off with your favorite flavor of sparkling grape juice and a pumpkin pie and you’re basically an adult living on your own.
3. Invite your friends over
If you’re staying on campus, chances are so are other people. If you know some of your friends from class or in your building are also living in their home away from home over the break, invite them over to eat some food and watch a movie. You will appreciate each other’s company and be thankful for the close proximity of all your friends on campus.
4. Stream A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
If you’re still experiencing tinges of nostalgia, open up YouTube and stream a childhood favorite to get your heart in a good place. Memories will come flying back to you and it will hit you right in the feels.
5. Call your family
Chances are, your family will feel weird not having you with them just as much as you feel weird being apart. Take some time out of your day to Skype or call them so that you guys can hear each others voices and check in with each other. We are fortunate to live in a day and age where being a thousand miles away isn’t to bad when you can pick up the phone and be transported back to your favorite sights and sounds.
6. Relax
Enjoy yourself. You get the benefit of only eating what you want to eat and avoiding all the awkward questions from family members you rarely talk to. No need to stress over tense political conversations, questions about your relationship, or answering tedious questions about how school is going. The day is definitely going to be different for you, but use that to your advantage to catch up on some much needed “me time” and create some new traditions. It’ll only be a couple more weeks until you can see them again for Christmas break, save all the awkward encounters for then.
Enjoy yourself this Thanksgiving break and remember that changes due to growing up might seem scary at first, but are amazing in the long run.