The holidays are coming up which means that everyone is booking flights, packing clothes and hitting the sale isles for presents. Most of the people in your classes have probably figured out how they will be spending their Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. But some people won’t be going back home because they want to catch up with their pending assignments, they’ve other plans at college or because their family lives too far away (we see you, international students). So instead of feeling left-out and homesick, here are a few ways you can celebrate the holiday season even if you can’t spend it with your family.
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Host a potluck with friends
There must be other people who aren’t going home, invite them all for a potluck at your house. You can ask them to bring a dish that is their family favorite for the holiday season. Maybe you’ll come across some recipes passed down from generations or some weird ways that certain families make the typical holiday treats. Last year I had a whole fried turkey, just saying.
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Plan a day trip
If you don’t want to feel homesick and lonely, the trick is to get out of your usual habitat and try something new. So, gather up some of your friends and head out of your college town for a day or two. If your college is in a small town maybe head out to a bigger city to experience the holidays and if your campus is in a metropolitan town maybe a little country-side soiree wouldn’t hurt.
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Go shopping with your buddies
Part of what makes the holiday season exciting is that there are so many exciting sales happening around the end of the year. So, make plans with your friends to head to a local mall for some holiday shopping. You can just go to check out the current discounts or you can go shop for a specific reason. Maybe you can all go to Ikea for buying holiday décor for your apartments or maybe head to Macy’s for Christmas presents.
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Write heartfelt cards to your family
Speaking of presents, they’re a great way to give something memorable to your family members. But don’t forget to also send them a card that expresses how much you miss your family and cherish them. Especially if your family lives overseas, sending a card can be an affordable option. Just write your honest, sincere feelings in them (by the way, it’s okay to cry while writing) and send them off. Your family probably misses you as much as you miss them!