Collegiate Times

I've never been very excited about Thanksgiving. 

The idea of yams and turkeys thrills me just about as much as any other food I can live without. It’s like the season’s goldfish: I’ll eat it if it’s there.

I watch my family members stuff their faces and stay full for hours, basking in their laziness and food comas. 

They are classic examples of the truth behind the claim that too much turkey can actually put you to sleep. 

As they’re napping, I get hungry again. I can’t help it; all I ate was pumpkin pie and bite-sized portions of everything else. 

A trip to the fridge is yet another disappointment — leftovers. My mother is a big supporter — it’s probably why our small family of three has a membership at
Costco.

Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against the holiday. 

I like the break from school and enjoy watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade with the Rockettes and unnecessarily large balloons. 

I think the premise of the holiday is great, too; we often aren’t thankful enough. 

This year, however, I’m going to be looking forward to it for a whole slew of new reasons.

The only other time I think I’ve been excited to shower in my own shower was when I went on a field trip for four days to the Eastern Shore with no running water. 

I have huge expectations behind how I’ll feel when I leave my shower shoes at the door and sleep in a bed I don’t have to climb a ladder to get into.

But all these things aside, my excitement for this coming week really culminates in the movie theatre.

Yes, I am a huge nerd — I am talking about Harry Potter. I’ve read all the books religiously and in a timely manner. I think the longest it took me to get through one was four days, and that was for the excruciatingly-long fifth book which was honestly just a little too much.

I’m not the kind of obsessive fan who knows every minute detail or every character’s biography, but I really do love the
movies. 

I will be sad to see the ending of this one, and even more sad for the finale in July. As cliche and repetitive as it may sound, I really did grow up alongside Harry. My wand may have been paper mache and only taken out on Halloween, but I’ve always been able to relate to the characters.

Though Thanksgiving has always been one of the holidays right there with the ones the Virginia Beach city school system doesn’t recognize, I actually think this year will change my mind. 

I may not be in line for the feast at D2, but I will be driving the long road to the beach as early as possible Friday
morning.

I know there will always be leftovers and infinite combinations of turkey — to the point where it is almost unnatural — but I don’t care. I’m glad Virginia Tech gives us a week off, because I am going to soak it up.

I’m welcoming the change in geography, and even the mashed potatoes. I will be paying $10 for a movie I will probably have to sit in the front row for, yet I couldn’t be more excited. 

When the leftovers come out again and my parents’ misunderstanding of my new sleeping habits becomes a tad bit annoying, getting back to school will sound great. 

Until then, I’ll take my turkey, only this time with a smile on my face. 

A version of this article appeared in the Nov 18 issue of the Collegiate Times.