Dear Aunt Chelsea:
I’m a college sophomore whose distance from my family makes the trip home for Thanksgiving too much of a hassle (and too much of an expense). I have several invites from friends — and even a few people I don’t know very well. But the thought of making smalltalk at the holiday table with somebody else’s family depresses me more than the alternative: Ramen noodles for one. Besides, this is the one chance I have for a day or two by myself. What should I do?
Gary, in a Gobble Goo
Dear Gobble:
Ah, to see through young eyes again. One’s college years are a time of limitless possibilities — so why are you tethering yourself to such dramatic, worst-case scenarios? I read this letter and see a person lucky enough to have offers coming out of his ears, yet you seem consigned to spend America’s special day of thanks pinned down by the crushing burden of making new friends or eating alone. And what’s with the self-imposed vision of Ramen noodles? It’s Thanksgiving, Gary. You’re allowed to pick up a sandwich. I’ll just bet that meal option stems more from low self-esteem than limited funds. A plane ticket home may be out of reach, but surely you can afford a decent turkey club.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with opting out of a group Thanksgiving celebration in favor of sleeping in late and bumming around on your own. But don’t make a habit of it — or before your college years are over, you’ll be known as that bitter, lonely recluse whose only human contact happens when the second unit crew of “Hoarders” swings by to get a shot of the noodle boxes blocking your hallway.
DO YOU have a question for Aunt Chelsea? Send it to:askauntchelsea@chelseanow.com
