It’s Thanksgiving and I am writing this article wrapped in an electric blanket sitting at the kitchen counter on my second glass of wine while my brothers and their girlfriends make plans for a snowboarding trip in a few weeks and my stepmom cooks dinner.

I have been home for four hours and 39 minutes and there have been three jokes about me being the 11^th wheel.

I think a better title for this article would have been “How to survive the Holidays when all four of your siblings are in relationships, and your parents start asking questions about why you never bring anyone home for the holidays, and you drive to the drugstore just for some goddamn peace and quiet because you’re happy with your life but now you doubt everything.”

I’m in my twenties, I have been single for two years, I live on my own, and I am focused entirely on my career.

I enjoy my time alone. I can come and go as I please, and I can have ice cream for dinner. I can stay up late reading and I can do weird single people things like eat cereal standing up in the kitchen. But I will admit, that during the holidays, it does feel a little lonely.

So when my stepmom asks if I have finally started seeing anyone or my brother asks me “who do you keep texting?” with a knowing look, it stings a little more than usual.

Which brings me to my point, how do we single people survive the Holidays at home?

1. Drink a lot of wine. In fact, bring the bottle with you wherever you go, and refuse to share. I’m totally kidding, but actually, find something comforting like your grandma’s pumpkin pie or your favorite blanket and cuddle up with it.
2. Bring some work to do or a book to read. Take your laptop into a room and pretend that whatever you are doing just can’t wait. The work will provide a distraction while also helping you to be productive.
3. Any time that someone mentions your significant other, start talking about your career with pride. Or bring up a hobby or something new that you have tried. Steer the conversation away from your love life and on to actual accomplishments.
4. Use the time to reconnect with friends from the past and invite them over to be your plus one. Go explore some of your high school hangouts and stop by a bar for a drink and some reminiscing. Remember that family isn’t just what you’re born into, it’s who you choose.
5. Go for a run or go somewhere nearby to get out of the house for a while. This will make you look and feel productive.
6. When your siblings are all being cute and lovey with their partners, spend the time with your mom and watch a holiday movie or bake cookies. Help her decorate and get in some quality time.
7. Make the joke about your single life before someone else can. If you get there first, it makes it feel as though you’re in on the jokes.
8. Be confident in your single life. Know that you don’t need someone to get you through the holidays because you are enough on your own. Kiss the champagne bottle on New Year’s Eve and throw away the mistletoe. You don’t need to justify your life to your family.