By Roxy Augeri ’20

With Thanksgiving around the corner, a large majority of students are traveling around the country. I thought I could help out with some tips to make travelling a breeze.

Tip number one: Always make sure you pack as thoroughly as possible. You always want to be prepared. You never know when an unexpected blizzard will hit, or even the typical November heat wave. No one suffers from having too many clothes. Two bags, or even 20 to carry onto the plane is recommended. The extra cost is arbitrary when you can sleep knowing you are prepared for any situation.

Tip number two: Leave as early as you can.  The traffic these days can be brutal, because everyone is just dying to sit next to Great Aunt Roberta as she makes her racist jokes.   For students, that means taking off the whole week before the Thanksgiving break. By leaving seven days earlier than you are expected to arrive, you will ensure punctuality and will be a welcome surprise to your host.

Tip number three: If you are not up for sit next to ancient and obnoxious great aunt Roberta, it isn’t a problem. The key is to call dibs on your seat at the table before you even set foot in the house. After extensive research, making a group chat that includes your entire family and declaring your location at the table has led to documented  increases in  happiness.

Tip number four: Don’t eat at the Thanksgiving table. Ever since  you cut the turkey before Uncle Joe arrived about, it is very likely he is going to want to poison your meal. It doesn’t matter that the terrible event took place three years ago — families are known to hold grudges. But no matter.  Who likes Thanksgiving food anyway? This is also a great method to make sure you don’t pack on any more weight in preparation for the next feast in the holiday season.

Tip number five (arguably the most important piece of advice):. Don’t travel at all. Why deal with awful family road trips or a cramped airplane when you can spend the entire long weekend in your bed? Take it from me, a stay-at-home veteran, you will love staying in our  beautiful town. The crisp fall air and lack of any people add to the quaint small town image for which Westport is so famous.

I hope that you found this advice helpful in making sure to plan the best possible holiday weekend for you and your family. And remember, yelling across the table is always the best way to interact with your family this holiday season.

Graphic by: Jordi Katz ’20