Being an international student, I wasn’t able to go home for Thanksgiving. Spending 20+hours in a plane and at airports, with 6 hours jetlag each way, for only a five day break is a little excessive for a holiday that my family doesn’t even celebrate. This term I have been lucky enough to make some great friends on my freshman floor. When you are all up at 2 am frantically trying to finish a paper for some class or another, there is some serious bonding! One of my friends on my floor is actually from Hanover and her family invited me to spend Thanksgiving break in their home.

My last two years of high school were spent at a boarding school which was an amazing experience but certainly made me appreciate time spent in a real home – away from the dorms. After 9 weeks of classes, it was so nice to be in a bedroom with a proper bathroom and a house just to relax in. Being about a mile from campus, it was so easy to get to Baker (the library) to get any books I needed for my work but it also meant that I was off campus for a while – without having to go very far. Dartmouth is fantastic but it is a very intense experience and it’s good to remember that breaks every now and then to rejuvenate are necessary. This one definitely renewed my energy! Thanksgiving was amazing (SUCH GOOD FOOD) and we went on one or two fabulous adventures (involving black Friday shopping, building a snowturkey and baking lots and lots of pie!).

Next year, the calendar is changing so Thanksgiving is actually at that beginning of the winter break, but I think I will definitely stick around for another Thanksgiving holiday before heading off home for Christmas!