I’m sure everyone was excited to see the parents, siblings, and/or relatives that we’ve longed to see over Thanksgiving Break. I certainly had a smile on my face during the whole train ride just thinking about the mashed potatoes and gravy, familiar faces, and of course the pumpkin pie with whipped cream! It was a time of celebration and the beginning to best time of the year.
When you went back home, you might have experienced the following:
Body Crushing Hugs All Around
The absences of all the hugs and love while away at college seem to have accumulated into one huge hug the second you walked through the door. So much has been stored that you find it hard to get a word out from all the group hugging. Also throughout the break, you think it’s like National Hug Day or something from all the random hugs.
Netflix Didn’t Leave Your World
You still find the need to open up your laptop and continue with your episode marathon or start early on those Christmas movies. A break wouldn’t be a break without some TV streaming.
Black Friday Talk
Of course with Thanksgiving comes Black Friday talk. You either heard it, talked about it, or embraced the deals…there’s no escaping it. If you went out in the chaos, you more than likely bought weather accessories for the “wonderful” Chicago weather coming up.
*If you went in with the mentally that you were buying for others and ended up with everything being for your own personal use, I’m on the same boat. *
The Love of Babies
With the absence of babies and toddlers on campus, their presence was too much not to adore. You always found the urge to hold them and squeeze them. Having them try to pronounce your name and the leg hugs made your day. And of course to remember it all, you needed to take a picture.
Behind the Wheel
Being in the city and heavily relying on our Ventras, the majority of us haven’t driven in awhile. The long awaited freedom of not depending on bus trackers and crowded buses has come once again. It felt kind of weird at first, but then all it took was a drive-thru experience and an aux cord plug-in to have those driving skills kick in.
Seeing Your Bank Account Go Down
This happens every year. There’s no way to save your wallet with the Christmas shopping, hot chocolate runs (my favorite), and travel fares. We’ll regret it tomorrow, but at the time it seemed like a good idea to buy five new shirts and two pairs of jeans while holding some overpriced warm beverage.