Hi everyone! Happy Thanksgiving week!
This is one of my favorite weeks to be in Iowa City, because the city is completely empty of students and feels like a ghost town. That might be weird of me to say, but this is the third time I’ve spent Thanksgiving in Iowa, and I’ve come to really enjoy/anticipate the alone time. It gives me the space to pursue my hobbies, so in celebration of that, I thought I’d give you guys a list of some of the things I plan on getting done. At the very least, this article is my way of holding myself accountable to my own plans!
Getting Caught Up on Homework + Taking Work Shifts
This is probably the least exciting part of my break, but still important nonetheless!
Even though Thanksgiving break is supposed to be a time of rest and relaxation, I usually find myself catching up or getting a head start on homework for the following week. I’ve found that this makes it easier for me to focus on my finals when the time comes!
To help motivate myself, I usually find a local coffee shop to grab a warm drink and get into the working mindset. That way, I feel more productive and comfortable!
Similarly, I like to grab work shifts (I work in the Office of Admissions at the university!), so I can make a little bit of extra money. Since so many students and workers have left for break, it’s nice being able to grab whatever shits I want. I’m also someone who likes a routine, so this is something I personally find myself needing as the days go by.
Catching up on TV Shows
This year, my goal is to finish all nine seasons of How I Met Your Mother, and I’m currently on season eight!
I started watching back in January and it’s been a slow year as I’ve chipped away at the seasons. This week, though, I promised myself that I would do my best to finish season eight, so I’ll definitely be spending my nights binge-watching the show in an attempt to finish it before the year is out.
I can’t wait to make myself some hot cocoa, kick back, and relax!
Going to the Movies
There are a lot of movies out right now that I’m absolutely DYINGGG to see! Some include Anora, We Live in Time, and of course, Wicked! Sometime this week, I plan on grabbing some friends and dragging them to the theaters to enjoy the magic of the movies with me.
Usually with my class schedule, I find it really hard to have a few hours free for the theater, but this week, I plan on making the time to head into downtown Iowa City where I can enjoy my free time with some fun.
Shopping for Fun
Speaking of downtown Iowa City, I’m a huge fan of all the mini storefronts and small businesses where I can do my shopping!
There are so many cute shops and vendors open during the holiday season, and I always get so sad when I don’t have the time between work and classes to explore some of the items on sale. So, this week, I plan on spending a day where I hit all of my favorite shops!
And this year, I’m SUPER excited because there’s going to be a holiday flea market that I can go too! I can’t wait to see what fun trinkets and accessories they end up selling that I can bring home.
Reading and Writing
My personal hobbies are reading books and writing stories which are two other things that I’d like to carve out some time for this week. My goal for the year was to read thirty books, and I’ve currently read twenty-eight! Being so close to my goal makes me extra excited to cozy up with a book and finish out the year strong.
In the same vein, I have a few short stories that I’ve wanted to finish writing all semester, and I can’t wait to finally have time where I can write and decompress while doing my favorite thing.
Going to the Gym
Because of my school schedule, it can be really difficult to get to the gym regularly. This week, though, I plan on making gym time a priority since the gym will be pretty empty except for some locals. Our campus’s recreation center is the third best in the country, so I really want to take advantage of this facility as much as possible before I graduate.
Personally, I’ve been doing a lot of running on the treadmill and getting toned with some Pilates, so with a fully free schedule, I’m excited to spend some time getting my sweat on and bettering my body.
Cooking a Thanksgiving Meal
Last but not least, I plan on trying to cook myself a Thanksgiving meal which would be my first time EVER cooking some of these classic Thanksgiving staples!
I have a huge grocery list of items that I need to buy, and I plan on spending Thanksgiving Day in the kitchen and testing out all of the recipes I grew up loving. Fingers crossed that everything comes out delicious and that I have plenty of leftovers for the days after!
Those are all the things I plan on doing for the upcoming week! For me, the most important part of break is to do the things that I want to do since it’s rare I have alone time to indulge in my own hobbies and fun.
I hope your Thanksgiving break is just as restful and relaxing as mine!
