Ah, Thanksgiving. The holiday when we eat turkeys and argue with family. I’m Canadian and our Thanksgiving is in early October, yet I’m still super excited for those five days of freedom in the middle of Week 9. But as the holiday quickly approaches, we all (especially students from outside LA) have to make the tough decision of whether to make the trek home for the holidays.
Making the choice of how to spend your turkey holiday can be stressful, especially because we have to navigate the guilt of either being away from family or being unproductive. But turkey isn’t supposed to stress you out, it’s supposed to knock you out — right into a food coma! So, how can we tackle this stressful decision and make the Thanksgiving break serve us and our mental health?
It’s easy to see two major options for Thanksgiving. You stay at school and grind out essays like your life depends on it, or you go home to curl up with family and eat your body weight’s worth of food. Luckily, these aren’t your only options. You can stay at school and take days to recharge, watching movies and eating leftovers in bed (remember to stock up on food! Those closed dining halls and stores can be a real pain), or you can set aside moments to study at home between chunks of family time. You can have a long FaceTime call with your family from school, or you can have alone time at home. It isn’t one or the other; your holiday can serve your exact needs.
The real issue with this returning-home-for-Thanksgiving debate is guilt. If you’re lucky, your family wants to see you over the long weekend, but with the Christmas break two weeks after, sometimes it’s just not feasible to go back both times. Turning down my dad’s invitation made me feel like a bad daughter, like I cared more about school than my family. On the other hand, if I were to go home, I’m sure I would feel guilty for taking time off and relaxing when finals are just around the corner.
But this guilt, I realized, is useless. It’s a mental block with no purpose. If you had no obligations to anyone, what would make you the happiest over your break? Maybe it’s taking a trip home to see your sweaty old dog, or maybe it’s dancing around your empty dorm while all your roommates are away. These are the things you should consider, rather than who you’ll be letting down by your choice. Your family will still love you if you miss this holiday and your work will get finished even if you take some time off.
Guilt and holidays go hand in hand, as familial expectations put pressure on you to be sacrificial with your time. Sometimes, though, you deserve to do what best suits your needs. After slogging through Fall Quarter, you deserve a break. Let yourself relax, or get ahead on work, or maybe a bit of both! Eat some turkey, or the vegan turkey substitute, but whatever you do, don’t feel guilty for spending your Thanksgiving in a way that best serves you.