Thanksgiving is a time for food, family, and friends; however, if you’re staying on campus over Thanksgiving break, you are probably lacking in all three of these areas. So, here are some tips on how to maintain your sanity for these five, long days and actually enjoy your break.
Food
This is possibly the saddest part of break because you never realize how important Reckers is until you don’t have the option of having it or how far NDH is until SDH is closed for the entirety of break. With everything dead on campus, it’s very difficult to stay positive (especially when your stomach is telling you that you are dying). Last night, I spent two hours trying to find a pizza restaurant that would deliver on Thanksgiving. For future reference, nobody does.
Next year, I would greatly recommend stocking up your room beforehand with actual food. The first day of break I found that I had devoured everything in my room. From Pop Tarts to Ramen noodles, everything was gone in a matter of hours. Remember to monitor your food intake and not succumb to the temptation of boredom in eating everything you (and possibly your roommate) own.
On the bright side, the Thanksgiving lunch at Notre Dame is absolutely amazing. At least for a few hours you will feel as if you are actually home, because in a sense you are. The warm food and even warmer staff will remind you that this truly is our home under the dome.
Family
Thanksgiving, next to Christmas, is the most important familial holiday of the year. Therefore, you will definitely find yourself very homesick during these five days–it’s only natural. However, there are ways to at least slightly ease your pain. The beauty of technology has brought us video chatting, such as FaceTime and Skype, where we can virtually spend time with our families while being thousands of miles away, as well as social media sites that provide us with a glimpse into the lives of our family members.
This Thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to Skype my family from the comfort of my dorm room during their Thanksgiving dinner and it definitely made a difference. I felt as if I was actually part of the festivities, though I was cheated of the delicious food. Seeing the smiling faces of your family on Thanksgiving is a reminder that though the food is oftentimes what we remember, the most important part of the day is being with those we love, whether it is in person or over Skype.
Friends
Embrace your new independent lifestyle. You have five days free of distractions (beside Netflix and the internet), so take advantage of them. The end of the semester is near, so it’s time to buckle down and get a head start on your plentiful amount of final projects and studying. Without friends as a distraction, you have the opportunity to lock yourself in your room for five days and come out a productive and changed person.
Hopefully these tips will help you keep your sanity next time around on this cold, Thanksgiving break.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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