Life is stressful. From piles upon piles of reading to extracurricular activities, my schedule – and everyone else’s – is completely packed. Barely having time to sit and collect my thoughts during the typical weekday, it seems like a far-fetched, unattainable goal to schedule a time with all of my friends to sit down, unwind, and eat.
However, throughout college my friends and I have made the effort to carve out an hour where we can all have dinner together. Whether it’s showing up at the dining hall at 4:30 PM because that’s when our schedules allow (we’ve come to love eating at this time like the “seniors” we are), or cooking dinner together in one of our apartments, eating dinner with my friends reminds me to relax and enjoy the craziness that is the semi-adult world. In this time, we talk about the highs and lows of our days, and express our budding excitement for the weekend. It’s a time to reflect on everything great we accomplished, and remember that everyone is experiencing challenges when trying to navigate our quasi-adult lives. It’s also a time where we poke fun at one another and laugh loudly at everyone’s anecdotes. Now dubbing them “family dinners,” this commitment reminds me of the times I spent at the dining room table with my own biological family, and how family dinner time was one of my favorite parts of growing up.
Friendsgiving 2016
I’m lucky to have found my own “family” during my college years, and the best way to enjoy time with them during the week is by sitting around our cramped dining room table, and eating.