Have you ever wondered what life would be like if everyone on a college campus just disappeared? Well, if you're ever interested in finding out, just stay around for a long weekend or extended break and you'll quickly realize how much it resembles The Walking Dead.

Being from New Jersey, it didn't make sense for me to travel some sixteen hours back home by plane for three days, only to turn around and fly back, especially with winter break just two weeks away. Hence my decision to stay here on campus and be with some close friends for Thanksgiving. It's not a new decision for me, having done so once in my undergraduate days in New Hampshire.

Two big differences stuck out immediately though from the last time I stayed on a college campus for Thanksgiving - less snow and more space. Of course, Mississippi isn't a place to anticipate winter's early arrival in November (severe weather is even expected this week). However, coming from a small college located in a small town of New England, it was a big change coming to a bigger campus. You can amplify that when no one else is around.

I spent some time walking around the deserted campus this weekend, walking past buildings usually bustling with students, and through paths usually littered with people, backpacks, and trash. If there is one thing you can appreciate while at Mississippi State on your own, it is the beauty of the campus. Whether watching the sunset from the Drill Field or seeing the remains of the columns at the archaeology building lit up at night, it was a peaceful and refreshing break, even if I never left my second home.

So remember kids, Thanksgiving alone on a college campus is not a death sentence. It can actually be refreshing and keep you in tune for your final exams to come.