A Very Skype-y Thanksgiving: What to Do When You’re Not Going Home
By Laura Donovan
As young professionals flock to citiesto pursue their careers and career dreams, they often leave behind their parents, brothers and sisters. By the time Thanksgiving rolls around, many of these folks don’t have the resources or flexible schedule to see family. Air travel during Thanksgiving has declined since the beginning of the Recession, and is now down a full 12% from its peak in 2006. It makes sense: plenty of people cannot go home for the holiday for financial reasons, lack of vacation days, or both. Last year, even Lindsay Lohan found herself unable to make it back from rehab in time. Jobless individuals are less likely to pay airline fees as well— and nearly 6.5 million members of the work force in the U.S. do not have any form of employment (meanwhile, the number of people that have entered the category of “not in the labor force” in the last six months alone is over a million). It’s dire times, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of if you can’t make it home this year.This will be my first Thanksgiving away from my northern California home. I’ve just started a new job, and braving Transportation Security Administration requirements seems stressful and traumatic enough without having to deal with the traffic of the busiest day of the year.
I spoke with some other non-travelers to get their thoughts.Our very own Isabelle Mitchell, who hails from Europe, isn’t too keen on riding solo for Thanksgiving despite the fact that she never celebrated it in the motherland. “I am from Switzerland and don’t have the vacation days or the money to go home,” Mitchell said. “I haven’t seen my mom in two years and I am not particularly looking forward to December. Being in a country that is holiday-crazy doesn’t help much…I definitely feel lonelier [around Thanksgiving]. Everyone is in a certain cheery mood, people talk about meeting their family, taking time off, cooking and eating! These are some of the greatest activities in the world— and I do love Thanksgiving food!”
Alec Weisman, an Alumni for Liberty employee based in Washington, DC, will not be flying to his home state of California for the holiday either.
“I decided against going home because I wanted to conserve money for gifts to friends and family during the holiday,” Weisman, a 2011 graduate of the University of California- San Diego, said. “Being away from family for Thanksgiving for the first time will definitely be a unique experience. I probably will not put in much effort to celebrate the holiday now, but my return home in December will be much richer for having waited. I feel ambivalent toward spending Thanksgiving alone, as it is the atmosphere of the holiday that makes it special.”
If you don’t have the funds or freedom to reunite with family members for Thanksgiving, take our advice into consideration. Here is what you should do if you can’t bond with relatives during this family-oriented day:
Visit a soup kitchen
If you’re bummed about being by yourself on Thanksgiving, explore your town or city for a soup kitchen that will be distributing meals to the less fortunate. Volunteer your services, help the needy, and interact with the others. Giving back never felt so good! If you like cooking, this could give you an opportunity to show off your culinary skills. Non-cooks like me can simply smile and serve food.
Organize an “orphan dinner” with friends
Surely you’re not the only one of your friends who can’t go home for the holidays. Round up the troops and get everyone together for an “orphan Thanksgiving.” Prove the 20-something critics wrong by putting together a delicious, grown-up meal with everybody. Take photos to give your family members peace of mind and remind yourself that there is more than just one type of family.
Attend local events
There are countless things to do on Thanksgiving besides scarf down turkey. If you’re a New Yorker, head on over to the famous annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Chicago residents can go to the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade on State Street. Folks in the nation’s capital can set foot in the 10th Annual Thanksgiving Day Trot for Hunger in which they’ll have the chance to simultaneously get a good work-out and assist the hungry. Get involved with the community. There are tons of people who will be out and about, so join them as they make the most out of November 24. You could meet someone special at one of these get-togethers, whether it’s a new friend or significant other. During the holiday season, anything could happen!
Catch a movie or do something low key with a buddy
If you’re friends with someone from another country, he/she probably isn’t going to celebrate Thanksgiving. Invite him/her out to the theater, which will definitely be open because Thanksgiving weekend is big at the box office. The cinema may not be your thing, but you can go out for a bike ride, go to church or a synagogue if you’re both religious, play board games, take a walk (take the opportunity to laugh at people doing a post-feast work-out!), or whip out a deck of cards. Make Thanksgiving a play day. Get in touch with your inner carefree self, especially since you work so hard the rest of the year.
Call or Skype your family
If you have a playful family, you can probably sell them on the concept of Skype during or before Thanksgiving dinner! The idea of talking to a laptop while they munch on stuffing might be strange, but your family may miss you enough to agree to this. It’ll allow you to have a presence at your family’s gathering. You won’t be the only one resorting to Skype, so don’t feel bad about doing it! If you’re without a webcam (or find the concept of a Skype Thanksgiving too bizarre to follow through with), have an extra long phone session with family members. They’ll be thrilled to hear from you, especially if you don’t usually call home!
Take a nap or chill out
Not everyone is depressed about being alone on Thanksgiving. Introverts, this could be an ideal day for “me time.” If your idea of a good holiday entails catching up on reading, working out, and repose, spend a portion of your day doing your favorite solitary activity. Sleep deprived folks may want to go down for a cat nap. Workaholics who never have time to exercise can go for a jog in the neighborhood, where they’ll probably cross paths with well-fed trotters. Crack open the intriguing novel that has been collecting dust on your coffee table for months. Take a few moments for yourself and then see if anyone is available to engage for a bit.
Laura Donovan is a staff writer and editor for Levo.
