Snowed in? Flights too expensive? Mom and dad took off on an exotic getaway? Scheduled to work? There are a few reasons you may not be able to get home for the holidays this year but there are also a few ways you can still enjoy the time.
Learn how to cook a turkey. What’s Thanksgiving without a turkey? Although it’s no easy task to cook one, get started now and have it down pat in a few years. Find yourself a good oven with an accurate temperature reading and do some research on how to successfully cook the bird. Check out sites like HowToCookAThanksgivingTurkey.com and the Thanksgiving section of FoodNetwork.com. And for the vegetarians out there, pick up a Tofurkey and follow the directions on the box!
Travel to see friends and make your own Thanksgiving. Have a few friends you haven’t seen in awhile or maybe can’t make it home either? Take some time off and plan a visit for a home cooked meal. Whether you’re with family or friends it’s nice to be around loved ones for the holiday. Who knows - you may even start a new tradition. Check out Megabus.com for cheap bus tickets, which can be found if you book enough in advance.
Go home with a friend. Oftentimes the holidays are a warm and welcoming time for families. If you have a friend who is traveling home for the holidays think about tagging-along. If they are only a few hours from you, you may not even have to do an overnight. You’ll probably have a few laughs with your friend’s family and feel right at home.
Curl up with take-out and movies. While your friends are stressing over the holiday and seeing their extended family, you can take advantage of some alone time. You’re probably coming off some recent mid-terms or finals so catch up on sleep, have a pajama day, order take-out (lucky for you, not all restaurants are closed on Thanksgiving - order using GrubHub.com) and watch a few Thanksgiving-themed classics. Our movie recommendations - Home for The Holidays, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Plus, if you’re a football fan, you’ll finally be able to watch the big game without having to drown out Grandpa’s snoring.
Donate Your Time. Not everyone is fortunate to have a home, or even a family to get back to on Thanksgiving. See if you can’t lend yourself to your local soup kitchen and help serve those in need. To the people there, it may just be the most important place you could be on that day. To find out more about volunteering in your area visit DoSomething.org.
What To Do If You Can't Get Home for the Holidays
There are a few reasons you may not be able to get home for the holidays this year but there are also a few ways you can still enjoy the time.
