1. The Pre-break

The first stage of break is before it even happens. You have an endless to-do list and all you want to do is sit on your parent’s couch and do nothing. “Ugh, I have to pack too…”

2. The Trip

You’re on the way home and you couldn’t get there fast enough!

3. The Arrival

You get home and you realized how much you missed everything: your parents, your siblings, your dog, your neighbors, and even your childhood-twin bed.

4. The Renewal

You’re nearly malnourished because you haven’t had a real home-cooked meal in almost four months. You have a dentist appointment, dirty laundry that needs to be washed, ailments that need to be cured and maybe your mom will buy you new boots.

5. The Strategy

You have to plan when all of your friends from home are free and/or when they are home. Someone has work? No worries, your other friend doesn’t work, so you guys can hang. At this point, you’re feeling very confident in your social life.

6: The Me, Myself, and I

A few days go by and your plans are beginning to fall through. Your friends are working and visiting family out-of-state. Even your middle-school brother is too busy to hang out with you. This is typically where you begin to miss your roommates and friends from school.

7. The Couch Potato

Overlapping with the previous stage, this is when you sit on your couch and watch Netflix. With this stage comes excessive snacking and considering doing your homework. You also contemplate working out, but then you chuckle at that crazy idea and open another bag of chips. I mean, hey, you’re on vacation!

8. The Travel

Oh right, you almost forgot that a holiday is the reason why you’re on break: Thanksgiving. This is the stage where you travel to see family for Thanksgiving dinner. You find yourself stuck between your brother and your grandma in the backseat of a crammed SUV for a five-hour car ride wishing you were just strapped to the roof.

OR

8. The Prep

This stage is when your family hosts Thanksgiving dinner. You are in the midst of your mother’s madness as you try to clean the house as if no one has ever lived there. You even volunteer to go to run ridiculous errands. Honestly, you’ll do just about anything to get out of the house at this point.

9. The Dinner

Ah, this is what it’s all about. You’re so thankful and happy to be around the ones you love and to have so much delicious food. And leftovers, lots of leftovers. Time to watch football and PTFO!

10. The Departure

Once all is said and done, it’s finally time to go back to school! Armed with clean clothes and leftovers, you’re ready to see your friends and get back into your school routine. And party! Just kidding, finals are right around the corner. May the odds be ever in your favor.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!