Thanksgiving has always been a holiday I’ve enjoyed because of the good food and quality time I get to spend with my family. However, with the entirety of my extended family living in other countries, I’ve only ever spent my Thanksgivings with my immediate family - my mom, dad, brother, and sister. Thanksgiving for me in high school was never particularly special, or as special as it is now that I’m in college because it was spent with the four other people I used to see every day.

Although Thanksgiving may have not felt super special while I was in high school because it was more or less just a fancy meal with the family I already saw everyday, I do appreciate Thanksgiving more now that I’m in college because I get to spend quality time with my family that I no longer see as often as I once did. Nowadays, I typically see my parents once every month or two and my siblings on even rarer occasions now that one attends college too and the other is in high school. Although I'll never straight up admit I’m happy to see them all again, I’m truly glad that a holiday such as Thanksgiving gives us the opportunity, or an excuse to spend some quality family time together and catch up on the past several months.

Since I’ve been in college, Thanksgiving has become a much more important holiday to me than it ever was to me in high school because I get to see the family I no longer get to see everyday during the week we have off. I don’t know whether other college students who celebrate Thanksgiving with more family appreciate Thanksgiving more now that they’re in college, however, I suspect that many likely do and are probably keen on going home for Thanksgiving break. Perhaps some of you reading this article haven’t ever really thought about whether or not you appreciate Thanksgiving more now that you’re living away from home, although I am curious. Do you appreciate Thanksgiving more than you once did now that you’re living by yourself and don’t see your family as much as you once may have?