(Not) Home For The Holidays—How-To Cure Homesickness When You're Away From Your Family

November 17th, 2016 at 2:00am

Going to college is all about working hard, finding your passion and hustling to make your dreams come true (ie landing a job) post-grad. But in order to become the “sophisticated adult” you always dreamed you would, sometimes you have to make sacrifices in order to get there. Perhaps that means you go to school out of state or use your breaks from school as a chance to snag extra opportunities to bolster your resume. All of these things are great, except for the fact that you are giving up treasured time and moments spent back at home with your family.

Home is the place that started it all for you. The walls that harbor all your secrets and favorite memories growing up just seem farther and farther away as you continue on in your trajectory towards adulting. Being away from family is really hard, especially when it’s a special time of the year like the holidays. You miss out on pestering your siblings and those special home cooked meals that you wake up dreaming about every day.

While it is hard to replace your mom’s sweet potato casserole or the smell of your childhood bedroom, friends and fun activities can be great substitutes for the real thing. So, if you are feeling homesick this holiday season, here are some things you can do with your friends to make time spent away from home a lot easier.

If you live somewhere warm, take your holiday meal outdoors and have a turkey filled picnic. (Photo via @maddyschlosser)

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Go pumpkin picking and spend an embarrassing amount of time making homemade pumpkin pie (Photo via @michelledufflocq)

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Create new traditions. Embrace the beautiful weather and roll around in the fall leaves. (Photo via @lauriseirl)

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Not a big fan of traditional seasonal grub? Go out to eat at your favorite places around town and celebrate the holidays your way. (Photo via @sassofstyle)

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Most importantly, spend some quality time with your Guru Gang, the second best thing to your family. (Photo via @asmillz)

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