I’m Going Home for Thanksgiving. Here’s Why.

Surprise! Over Thanksgiving break, I’m going home and staying home until the end of 2020. If you’ve been subjected to hearing one of my many odes to Boston, this may be shocking news.

I, Cait Meyer, am choosing to go home. On November 24, I will be driving back to New Jersey with my partner and all of my beloved houseplants in the backseat. This was not an easy decision to make; I love Boston University and the city we call our campus. 

Admittedly, I was originally supposed to go home for Thanksgiving then come back. I would be driving both ways instead of taking the Amtrak like normal to minimize outside exposure. My family was going to be tested beforehand, and we would all stay at home in our social-distance-bubble. 

But once Massachusetts public health officials deemed New Jersey a high-risk state, this plan was scrapped. Even if we took all of the precautionary measures listed above, I could not justify traveling to a high-risk state and endangering the BU community upon my return to campus. So, I had to choose between spending Thanksgiving and a far more extended break at home than originally planned, or celebrating the holiday on my own.

It’s worth noting that I was extremely lucky to even have this choice. Many students do not even have the option of seeing family on Thanksgiving in a normal year, let alone during a pandemic. I recognize this is a conundrum I was privileged to face in the first place. 

That being said, I started to look at what’s on the calendar between Thanksgiving and Winter break. My mom’s birthday is on the 19th, and if I went home, we could hold a belated birthday celebration for her. My dad’s birthday is also coming up in early December, and I could celebrate with him, as well. There is also Hanukkah and lots of dreidel to play.

Most notably, after Thanksgiving, there are only nine days of in-person classes left. I originally came back to campus in August so that I could experience in-person learning, so I felt like a massive hypocrite even considering missing these nine days. But, I realized the opportunity to cherish these moments and memories with my family was far more important than nine days of classes. 

Additionally, the rise of COVID-19 case numbers on-campus has me pretty nervous. I wouldn’t be surprised if after Thanksgiving the BU administration cancels in-person learning anyway. But, even if they don’t, I’m not sure I would feel safe attending classes in-person.

While I’m going to miss my beautiful apartment and independence, I refuse to let this pandemic strip away any more memories and celebrations. Granted, I am not advocating for the nation to disregard public health recommendations in the name of Thanksgiving. Rather, in my decision to go home, I realized that it is better to quarantine with my family than quarantine alone. Not to mention, my family will have a much easier time finishing the turkey with four people instead of three.  

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• thanksgiving