Imagine getting to go home after the first few months at school; being surrounded by loved ones while stuffing your face with turkey, stuffing, macaroni & cheese, peas and other delicious home-cooked food. If your reality is spending the holiday in your dorm, you might feel sad about not getting to go home and being the only one left in your dorm room eating food from the school cafeteria.
Phrasing it like that might not sound like there’s much to look forward to on Thanksgiving. However, you can still make Thanksgiving eventful while staying on campus.
As boring as it might sound, working might be a good idea. You won’t have to worry about your classes interfering with your work schedule, you’ll be able to work longer shifts and earn some extra spending money. Don’t have a job? One quick option is dog-walking. For more ideas, there’s plenty of websites that have available job listings in the city.
Take advantage of the colorful leaves as fall comes to an end! If you’re looking for a way to clear your head and take some time for yourself, consider going to a park and listening to a guided meditation or reading one of your favorite books.
Free Guided Meditation Apps:
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Simple Habit
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Headspace
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Stop, Breathe & Think
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The Mindfulness App
The Best Parks in New York City:
Downtown Manhattan:
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Battery Park
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Bowling Green
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City Hall Park
The Village:
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Washington Square Park
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Union Square Park
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Madison Square Park
Midtown:
- Bryant Park
Uptown:
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Central Park
Still having a difficult time navigating the city? No worries! Just type in where you would like to go into the Maps app on your phone, click Directions, select Transit and choose which train you would like to take to get to your destination. To see if where you want to go is within walking distance, click Walk instead of Transit.
With so many new shows and movies on Netflix this month, try to take a day to watch Netflix, eat all of your favorite snacks, and wear a face mask that’ll make your skin feel totally transformed afterward. Head to Urban Outfitters and pick up some masks and maybe even treat yourself to some retail therapy. Take advantage of the quiet dorm and make your side of the dorm your very own personal movie theater!
When it comes down to it, not being able to visit home for Thanksgiving can be difficult. Consider finding other people who are staying here to do these things with and take time for personal reflection. If you’re feeling especially sad, try to remember it’s only five days, and before you know it, winter break will be here and you’ll have about a month to spend with loved ones. Overall, I hope this helps you have a great Thanksgiving Break whether you’re at home or on campus.
(Author’s Note: Not to toot my own horn, but I know I’ll be taking some of my own advice and doing these things when I stay here over the break!)