How to do Thanksgiving if you’re an out of state student
Can’t go home for Thanksgiving? Don’t fret
Thanksgiving can be one of the most stressful holidays, especially if you’re from out of state given the holiday is so short. You have to figure out where you’re going to go, what you’re going to do and who will be willing to house you for a few days. With these tips, Thanksgiving will now be the best holiday ever.
If you’re out of state but close enough to go home, good for you. You’re one of the lucky ones. But if you’re like me and your hometown is too far away, that’s probably not going to happen. But you do have alternative options.
Stay with a good friend
This is probably the easiest option. All you need to do is find a friend who would be willing to put up with you for a weekend. Also, you should probably double-check with their family before you invite yourself over. Thanksgiving is a time for family, and for some that means no outside communication whatsoever. Ask before you crash.
Couch surf
Another easy option available is couch surfing; you just need some form of transportation from one house to the next. You can have Thanksgiving dinner with one friend, then go over to the next friend’s house a day or so later. This way, you can have yourself a real Thanksgiving while still giving your friends some family time and without you feeling like an intruder, which is a nice compromise from option one.
Order in
Really can’t find someone to take you in for Thanksgiving weekend? There’s still hope. We all know that college is the time for penny-pinching, so why not treat yourself? Order in, put on some movies and have some much needed “me time.”
Have a friendsgiving
Who says you can’t celebrate Thanksgiving early? Lots of dorms on campus have resident kitchens, and if you have a friend with an off-campus apartment you can probably convince them to host a friendsgiving with you. Get all your friends together, go grocery shopping and make a delicious dinner. You can have Thanksgiving without your family – there’s nothing wrong with sharing good food with good friends.
Attend the Thanksgiving Fellowship dinner
The annual Thanksgiving Fellowship dinner, served in Brody classrooms, is a great option if you can’t get away from campus for break. It’s free of charge, open to everyone, and convenient for international students and domestic students alike. All of the classic Thanksgiving fixings will be available for you to chow down on before you start your weekend of shopping (and more food).
Use your weekend to de-stress
If none of these suggestions work out for you, no worries. There’s always the option of taking a little bit of time to yourself, and there’s nothing wrong with doing just that. College can be crazy and get a overwhelming at times, so this four day break can be your opportunity to de-stress and come back on Monday refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the semester. You can have yourself a spa day, or hit up Starbucks with a good book, curl up and get lost for a few hours.
Regardless of how you choose to spend your Thanksgiving break, make it a great one and enjoy yourself – whether you end up going home to family, crash at a friend’s place or have a spa weekend of your own. De-stress, eat good food and most importantly, enjoy your holiday whether you are home or not.