It’s November. The leaves have fallen, the temperature is dropping and the final countdown to Thanksgiving break is here. The holiday comes with the promise of family gatherings, relaxation and full bellies — but for some students who live far away, that’s not the case. 

Thanksgiving can be a particularly difficult holiday for international students, as they watch everyone leave to go home and see family while they are left on campus. 

Matilda Anderson, an international exchange student from England studying history, said she plans on doing “nothing” over the break. 

“My whole apartment is gone, so I’ll be doing work,” Anderson said.

There are some international students who decide to experience the American celebration by holding their own Thanksgiving dinners, going home with a friend to experience the holiday or seeing their own family anyway. 

Agathe Petit, a third-year business administration major from Belgium, said even though she does not follow the Thanksgiving tradition, she is still traveling for the break. 

“My family is coming over for five days, and we are going to the Carribean. We don’t really celebrate,” she said.

Additionally, some international students are embracing the traditional American holiday. 

“I’m actually having an American-style Thanksgiving, so I’ll be with family. We’re going to my grandma’s house, and she lives on Cape Cod. My family from Switzerland is coming over,” said Rob Yoo, a first-year computer science and computer engineering major from Zurich, Switzerland. 

There are also many domestic students who choose to stay on campus during the Thanksgiving break. 

“Over Thanksgiving break I will be working daily, and on Thanksgiving I’m planning on getting food delivered and watching movies in my dorm,” said Katie Day, a second-year psychology major from California. 

Day opted to stay on campus for practical reasons but said she will miss the California weather. 

“I’m not going home because the flights were really expensive to get to California and back, and I didn’t think it was worth it to go home when there’s only one week of classes left,” she said. “I’m not too upset that I’ll be staying here, but I wish I could be spending Thanksgiving with friends or family. I’m mostly sad that it’s going to be really cold here.”

Northeastern is also trying to bring Thanksgiving to the students who will be staying on campus. The Levine Marketplace dining hall will be serving a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for students from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. 

For students going home or traveling, safe travels, and happy Thanksgiving everyone!