While some students have the luxury of going home every other weekend, maybe because they only live an hour or two away from home, others have to plan out a long weekend to drive or fly home. It's not always easy, with having to request days off from work or trying to spend time with family when you visit. Thanksgiving is the time where most students make it home for at least a few days, even though the traffic is brutal and the airfare prices have sky-rocketed.
In preparation for the holiday, we practice our answers for the questions all of our family members will ask, even if they repeat the same question, hours apart. Though we moan and groan after each question, as if they're really pulling teeth instead of asking about our lives, we're thankful for the opportunity to gather with family and catch up. These are the top 10 questions our family will ask us when we come home for Thanksgiving.
1. "How are you doing in school?"
I'm behind in five classes even though I'm only taking four, I have eight exams, I have a professor that lectures about irrelevant topics, and I have to shotgun a RedBull before my morning classes. But I'm doing great.
2. "What's your major?"
It's probably changed three times since the last time we spoke, so I'm going to tell you I'm a Business Major. Just because.
3. "What are you going to do when you graduate?"
I have no idea. Please stop giving me pre-stress to the stress I have to stress about before I've even graduated. I'm just going to curl up in bed and hope everything sorts itself out in the end.
4. "Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?"
a.) Yes I do. Yes, it's going well. Yes, I'm behaving.
b.) No, please stop telling me I need to get one.
5. "Have you put on weight?"
I really, really don't want to talk about this one. It's been a long year. I could ask you the same thing, Aunt Carol.
6. "Why don't you call us more often?"
I barely have time to make sure I'm alive and well-nourished. I don't think I can call each and everyone one of you once a week, or a month. Let me get in touch with you when my life isn't spiraling out of control.
7. "Why don't you come visit us more often?"
I work six days out of the week. I live eight hours away. I have other responsibilities. I can't keep going home for random weekends when there is so much going on in my life right now. But feel free to come visit me and bring me stuff.
8. "Are you going to get married after college?"
Please let me sort out my life first before I make a huge commitment and complicate someone else's life. But when I've traveled enough and have lived my life to the fullest, I'll let you know about an engagement.
9. "Why don't you move back home?"
Why would I ever want to move back to the town that drove me out in the first place? I'll come home and visit, but unless the situation is dire, I will not be moving back home.
10. "Have you been taking care of yourself?"
I sleep two days out of the week, when I'm not working or at school. I eat one meal a day, if I can afford it, and it's never a healthy meal. But I love to put on a face mask and drink a bottle of water and tell myself that I'm really doing a great job at everything. So yeah, I'm taking care of myself.