If You’re Going Home for the Holidays, Don’t Forget To Do These Things
Returning to your hometown to see your pets (and hug your family) for the first time in months is always exciting. But before you get caught up with helping prepare Thanksgiving dinner and catching up with your hometown friends (safely), don’t forget to take advantage of this time! Here are some things you should remember to do. Trust me, you’ll thank me once you’re back on campus.
Make a list of foods you’d suggest to your parents for dinner — and use it
When you’re coming back to your dorm from the dining hall, what food from home comes to mind? Each time you think of a food you miss, maybe one that your parents make for dinner or from your favorite takeout restaurant, write it down in your notes app on your phone. This way, next time one of your parents asks for dinner suggestions, you’ll have something to suggest that you’re excited about!
Search for anything you may have forgotten before you moved in that you’ve been too preoccupied to ask your parents to send
Have you been thinking about a specific sweater you forgot? Or maybe just a miscellaneous item like cards? Or something hidden in your room? Put these items in your suitcase as soon as you get home, or write them down somewhere and put them in a corner of your room for easy finding when you re-pack.
Cook or bake yourself something in the kitchen
Cooking and baking in college is more of an ordeal: making a trip to Shnucks to buy ingredients, spending money, or maybe not having a kitchen in your dorm at all can really get in the way. At home, however, chances are you already have a lot of the basics that your dorm is lacking. Take advantage of this. A nice breakfast of scrambled eggs with toast or some late night homemade chocolate chip cookies can be so relaxing to make, and of course delicious. You can even make a list of things you want to bake while you’re still on campus (or on the way back home) to get you more excited.
Visit your favorite spots around town (safely!)
Support some local spots in your hometown and enjoy some old favorites. My own suggestions would include your local coffee shop or takeout restaurant. If these do not seem feasible due to current circumstances of COVID-19, drive around instead. Pass by some of your favorite places in the comfort of your car, listening to music that reminds you of home. This is a great way to get out of the house for a while and feel grateful.
Facetime your friends
Going home can be exciting, but staying home until Spring semester begins in January can be daunting. Schedule some time to facetime friends from college, friends who couldn’t make it home for Thanksgiving, or friends who could. You can do a Netflix Party night (all watching the same Netflix film or TV show through a special Netflix Party link that has a chat bar on the side so you can text throughout the movie), a Presentation Party, or just catch up.