As the semester wraps up, my second favorite school break finally arrives: Thanksgiving break. And if you’re anything like the cynic I am, you probably agree that skipping straight to Christmas break sounds ideal.
Even with that mindset, I’m genuinely thankful this season. I’m grateful for my family, my friends, and, most importantly, Stranger Things Season 5 dropping on the eve of Thanksgiving. I’m also grateful to be heading home for a bit, especially with final project deadlines creeping closer every day.
Since I want to make the most of this time off, I’ve put together five things I plan on doing this break that I think you should try too.
1. Indulge in your hometown cuisine
Coming home means one thing: better food. Having my own kitchen at school is nice, but nothing compares to a proper bacon, egg, and cheese from home. New Yorkers understand. And grabbing a slice of pizza that is actually good? Pure happiness. Connecticut people, please don’t even try and argue with me on the pizza debate. You will lose. Honestly, the comfort of grabbing any cuisine I want without a 30-minute hike (looking at you, Buckland Hills) is thrilling. My hometown restaurants are definitely about to see too much of me.
Once I’ve had my food fixes, the next best part of coming home begins.
2. Spend quality time with your hometown besties
Reuniting with friends after months apart always hits differently. My friends and I already have a Friendsgiving feast in the works, and catching up on everything that’s happened since we last saw each other is basically required. There is something comforting about driving around the same old spots, talking about absolutely everything and nothing.
If it weren’t freezing this year, I’d be taking a bike ride on the boardwalk or strolling along the shoreline. Since it feels like winter came with a vendetta this year, I’ll have to stick to indoor plans instead. Which leads me to maybe the best part of any break at home.
3. Gossip with your loved ones
Tea time with my mom is unmatched. My parents hear most of my updates when I call them, but something about a four-hour car ride home makes ranting feel especially therapeutic. Yes, we revisit the same situations year after year. Yes, she gives me the same advice she’s always given. And yes, I will continue to rant anyway. Hearing my mom’s predictions about people never gets old, and she is rarely wrong. Mother’s intuition stays undefeated.
After all the catching up and gossiping, we finally reach the heart of the break.
4. Stuff your plate on Thanksgiving
I am beyond excited for the amount of food I will be consuming. Call me big-backed if you want, but I will proudly get six or seven servings of whatever my grandmother cooks. My family’s Thanksgiving always includes Filipino dishes, and bringing home leftovers truly feels like Christmas came early.
Talking with my cousins is another highlight. We always end up reminding ourselves that we’re the same kids we’ve always been, even though some of them have their own children now. We still crowd around the huge kid’s table and laugh about how loud our parents are upstairs.
And after all that eating and socializing, there’s only one thing left to complete the break.
5. Binge the first four episodes of Stranger Things Season 5
The new episodes releasing this week feel like a personal gift. I’ve already been rewatching the entire series when I definitely should have been doing assignments, but I need to be prepared for whatever the Duffer Brothers have planned.
It’s wild to think so many of us grew up with this show. I watched the first season when I was 12, and now I’m 21. For context, Snapchat Memories had just been introduced back then. Time is genuinely flying by so quickly and it’s insane. I’m sad the show is ending, but it had to eventually.
And at some point we all had to accept that Will’s bowl haircuts needed to retire.
Just kidding… sort of.
Nonetheless, this break is the perfect chance to reconnect, recharge, and enjoy all the things we miss while we’re away at school. Whether you’re eating your favorite hometown food, catching up with your besties and family, or binging Stranger Things the second it drops, I hope you make the absolute most of this time off. Enjoy the week, and I’ll see you all back on campus feeling refreshed and ready to power through the rest of the semester!