My first Thanksgiving dinner away from home was Tsujita Ramen at 11:30 PM. It was 40 degrees and raining, my eight friends and I were huddled around one heater, and it took over an hour for us to be seated, but it was Thanksgiving nonetheless. This was during my freshman year at UCLA when all of my friends were people I had known for only two months, in a city I was only vaguely familiar with, yet it turned out to be one of my favorite holiday memories. I remember being apprehensive about whether a Thanksgiving away from family would still feel like Thanksgiving, but those worries quickly went away.
Not everyone can go home for Thanksgiving, and that’s okay. Coming from Hawaii, I never even considered flying back for a mere four-day weekend. With the large majority of UCLA students being California natives, though, it’s reasonable to wonder if there’ll be anyone to spend the holiday with, let alone what kind of plans you’ll make. Knowing how impossible it is for college freshmen to coordinate any sort of group event, it’s a good idea to get an early headcount of everyone who’s staying and everyone who’s leaving and build from there.
When I was a freshman, we rounded all of us up and decided we wanted to go to Universal Studios. While I knew it would be a lot of fun, in my head I was worried that I’d miss the activities of a traditional Thanksgiving, like cooking all day and watching football and getting together with family. We all lived in the dorms so we didn’t have our own kitchens, and even if we did, we were so codependent on our meal plans that no one would’ve wanted to cook. No one had cable either. Going along with plans, though, and letting the day unfold the way it did proved to be a lot more fulfilling because I was able to be spontaneous with my friends and bond with them over things like the uncharacteristically cold weather and how expensive cotton candy was at the park. It wasn’t your run-of-the-mill Thanksgiving by any means, but there was still a lot to be thankful for.
It’s definitely intimidating to be away from home for Thanksgiving, and maybe a little lonely too. However, with the right group of people, it still feels as comforting as if you were with family. The long weekend is also a great opportunity to do something exciting away from UCLA and Westwood, especially as a little break before the end of the quarter. My friends and I were really lucky to be able to go to Universal Studios, but something as simple as a Friendsgiving picnic at the beach would also be a nice escape from campus.
Even with a bunch of fun things to do, though, remind yourself that it’s okay to miss home during the holidays. Just because you’re not physically with your family doesn’t mean you can’t participate in some of their Thanksgiving activities, so make sure to give them a call and let them know you’re thinking about them. As you grow more independent and learn how to make the most of holidays with your friends, remember that your family is thinking about you as well.
Now that I’m in an apartment and have my own kitchen, my roommates and I are planning a full Friendsgiving feast. Mainly what that means is my oldest roommate will be cooking, my second oldest roommate will be assisting, and I will be curating the Thanksgiving playlist. Regardless of what you do over the long weekend, it will feel like the holidays when you have the right people with you. Be kind to yourself this Thanksgiving, be open-minded to new experiences and have fun.