Why you should go home for Thanksgiving

Thankfully for college students, our Thanksgiving break typically happens right before the most chaotic time of the semester. Even though it might be tempting to stay in your dorm or apartment over Thanksgiving—with seemingly no responsibilities—you should take advantage of this aptly timed break. It doesn't matter if this isn’t your favorite holiday, there are still a number of reasons why you should be enjoying this time off.

The first, and most important reason, is that you should spend time with family. I, like many of you, like the freedom of college and not having to be in close quarters with my family members all the time. Even if you don’t miss your parents a whole bunch, they feel your absence and likely miss your presence around the house. Since the rest of the semester is packed with classes, exams, projects, sports, extracurriculars, work, and more, make sure you take this week to wind down with the people that love you. Okay, I know how cheesy it sounds, but it’s all true! Regardless of how you celebrate this holiday, spending time with your family is the most important part. Catch up with your siblings and cousins, spend quality time with your grandparents, and make sure you tell your parents that you miss them (they will appreciate it more than you know).

Now, enough with all that sappy stuff out of the way, and onto everyone's favorite part of Thanksgiving: the food! Perhaps this is an unpopular opinion, but I’m not here for the turkey; Thanksgiving is most certainly a holiday of unbeatable side dishes. Let me load my plate up with some mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and rolls. Though the morning of Thanksgiving can sometimes be chaotic with everyone running around cleaning and cooking different dishes—often putting the time-classic too many cooks in the kitchen to the test. Behind the chaos, which is likely being endured with the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade on in the background, it all proves worthwhile once the whole family sits down to eat. 

Now, this wouldn’t be a true Thanksgiving article without at least mentioning the pie; make sure to save some room for the highlight of this holiday meal. Whether you reach for apple, pumpkin, pecan, cherry, or chocolate pie, be sure to savor this delectable delicacy.  

Another reason you should be going back home for Thanksgiving break is because you deserve it! You deserve some time off—time away from the craziness of campus, and time to just relax. Pulling yourself physically away from a space you associated with academia alone can do wonders for the mind. With end of semester projects, papers, and exams quickly approaching, this is your chance to partake in some much needed self-care. You can finally sleep in your childhood bedroom again, surrounded by stuffed animals and the clothes you left behind, and maybe even give yourself these few days off, guilt free. You’ll be thankful you did when the rigor of end-of-the-semester responsibilities commenced.

Even if Thanksgiving isn’t your favorite holiday (is it anyone’s favorite?), make sure you take full advantage of this time away from your classes. Give your parents a big hug, eat homemade food to your heart's content, and make sure to rest, rest, rest!

Thumbnail Photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons