by Hallie Gleeson
The thermostat has at last plunged into the chilly range (or at least, it was supposed to at the time of writing), the leaves have turned and gathered into resplendent heaps on the ground, and the stores have begun blasting Christmas carols. The last of the midterms and the final project assignments have begun, and all I really want to do is turn off my laptop, grab a good book, and curl on my couch by the fireplace at home.
I’m not going home though. As an out-of-state student, it’s simply not feasible for me to travel all the way to Arizona and schlep back to Danville for finals, just to repeat the entire process over winter break. That means that I will not be able to claim a seat at my family’s Thanksgiving table. No sweet potato casserole with browned marshmallows, no rambunctious little brothers, and no tug-of-war with our Scottish terrier puppy for me. Yeah, I’m homesick. Could you tell?
As a junior, this is my third year not going home for Thanksgiving. To my fellow stranded students—out-of-staters, international students, those that would prefer to stay away, and all the rest that will not be returning for whatever reason—I’d like to offer some advice that has helped stave off the homesickness, loneliness, and general end-of-semester fatigue. This can apply to everyone regardless of your loci on the 27th!
Homesickness can hit hard. Even if you can’t meet in person with hometown friends and family, having a designated FaceTime or phone call can help a lot. I try to send a couple of pictures of my day to my friends, and they share little moments from theirs! It really helps to stay feeling connected. In addition, my friends and I will typically have a Friendsgiving here on campus before everyone is scattered to the four winds. The chaos of cooking a Thanksgiving dinner in a dorm kitchen does plenty of good for the soul.
Another suggestion that I would offer is staying off of social media. Sure, a complete Instagram detox is probably unrealistic, and you’d miss out on your roommate’s Thanksgiving family pictures post…but the danger here is a quick check turning into an all day scroll sesh of FOMO, brainrot, and general suckiness. I try to go for a long walk every day of break. Bundling up with a cute sweater and looking at the fall colors is one of my favorite Centre Thanksgiving traditions. Danville has some exquisite fall beauties to feast your eyes on! A lap around Millenial Park or a trip over to Perryville might just hit the ticket. I also use break as an opportunity to pick up hobbies that I’m too busy to work on during the semester! Sometimes (okay, every time), I get a head start on studying for finals…but I try to actually give myself some rest!
Politics, drama, keeping it classy, seek to understand, not to defeat. thanksgiving, gratitude, help someone. Volunteering opps in Danville and Lexington.