<p>I need help. My daughter goes to school, far far away, in the NE. It is just too hard (and $$$) to get her home for the 3 to 4 day thanksgiving break, so she stays at school during that time (insert a very sad face here). I would like to send her a nice package to brighten her day. I’m sure that there are some smartie-pants parents or students out there that could come up with some great ideas for me. All ideas welcome. Even those that are not package related. I do plan to give her some money for dinner. Ideas? Anybody?</p>
<p>I don’t know, but there’s an article in the Boston Globe about this today! Many families can’t afford the $400 - $900 for airfare to fly their kid home for 4 or 5 days at Thanksgiving, so many are staying at school. Boston, being such a college town, has several restaurants that are expecting larger than usual crowds, consisting of college kids. The article also mentions families who live near Boston, whose kids go to Boston schools, who are inviting their kids’ friends to join them for the holiday. </p>
<p>[Guess</a> who’s not coming to dinner? - The Boston Globe](<a href=“http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/11/08/guess_whos_not_coming_to_dinner/]Guess”>http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/11/08/guess_whos_not_coming_to_dinner/)</p>
<p>This year, it’s so late that school will a little over two weeks after Thanksgiving. Many students will stay at school. One of the cafeterias is staying open. We’re having two of S’s chums over for Thanksgiving; we may end up with more. Some of S’s friends who have homes on the East Coast are inviting others to come home with them.</p>
<p>My boys aren’t coming home this year either, so I feel your pain. I don’t know their plans. In the past they’ve either gone to visit each other (they are about 4 hours apart by bus) or other relatives, or gone out with friends. One year, my S in NYC volunteered to help his school prepare a dinner for International Students. Only once has he been invited to someone else’s home, which surprised me. I thought that would be more common. But his school does make some attempt to care for those left on campus.</p>
<p>(Side note - D attends a public school, in another state. We were surprised to learn that the campus closes down completely. I don’t know what international students do there. But we didn’t have a choice about bringing her home. It caught us by surprise since our boys both attended private schools with a bigger long-distance population.)</p>
<p>As far as care package ideas, be sure to include some holiday napkins and decor. Maybe turkey or pilgrim salt and pepper shakers or candle holders? (Our local Hobby Lobby has lots of stuff like that.) As long as you’re sending a package, include some Christmas (or whatever winter holiday you celebrate) decor to decorate the dorm room – Maybe a string of lights.</p>
<p>There is a company that specializes in sending everything you need to satisfy anyone’s appetite. They make gift baskets with chocolates, imported candies, homemade cookies, biscotti, gourmet crackers and cheese and fresh fruit. We’ve been using them for years, and have sent goodies to our Ds in college many times. They ship anywhere in the US. </p>
<p>Wayne’s Market, Red Bank, NJ 732-741-0333 or
[Wayne’s</a> Market Gourmet Gift Baskets - Red Bank, NJ](<a href=“http://www.waynesmarket.com%5DWayne’s”>http://www.waynesmarket.com)</p>
<p>In 4 years at a midwest college, this is the first Thanksgiving that our DD will be flying home.</p>
<p>Thanksgiving is one of the worst times of year to fly with unexpected snow, delayed or overbooked flights, and many many hours at airports, so don’t feel too bad. Many kids don’t fly home, and they have a pretty good time on campus, the cafeterias will do special food, local studnets will have them over etc.</p>
<p>I loooove sending packages, but usually dont order online ready-made packages. Its more fun for me to put together silly stuff.</p>
<p>I have sent home-made cookies, funny winter hats, giant inflatable theme stuff (like a turkey or an Easter bunny), themed earrings, etc.</p>
<p>One time I shipped an entire meal in dry ice and she and her roommates were simply thrilled with the food.</p>
<p>A care package with lots of little surprises from the grocery store can be big fun. They make little plastic cups of cranberry sauce. :)</p>
<p>my son has decided to stay at school this year for thanksgiving. he doesn’t finish class until late tuesday and since he is so far away, the trip home would be so short! and he would be home in just about 10 days, so he (we???) decided it was best to just stay there.</p>
<p>my husband is out visiting him this weekend. i went to a local candy store today and had them ordered a variety of his favorites to be mailed to him late this week. so, he will have a bit of home with him.</p>
<p>Above- “finishes class late Tuesday”- whatever happened to Wednesday? I still remember- pardon the long sentence- not joining friends who were walking with a friend to the bus station when he had to go to Milwaukee from Madison for his draft physical the day before Thanksgiving as I had a calculus exam that morning (the year was 1972, they ended the draft the following January so friend never had to go to Vietnam… another of his friends went to picket the charter bus taking men for their draft physicals, those were interesting times). Schools here, K-12 as well as colleges, all have classes on Wednesday (except for a few small towns who shut down the entire week for the gun deer hunting season), professors have been known to remind students that exams et al may be held that day and to not book an early flight for those going OOS. At least this year H will be able to make the drive to collect son and others, in the past I remember planning my pie baking around my 5 hours lost to travel to and from campus (I recall a cancelled late afternoon class discussion so I could do my usual evening baking instead of finishing it before my trip). I wonder if son’s upper level late afternoon lecture will be held. Semester exams end around December 20th here.</p>
<p>Most of the local state schools will take the entire week off for Thanksgiving. Yes, that’s right…the entire week. I don’t have any problem with having classes Tuesday or even Wednesday, but around here, the parents and students would be in an uproar! </p>
<p>We have a fall break–one day–basically it consists of one three-day weekend. It always falls on a Friday. For a while the students/parents were happy with the extra day. Then a few years later, the students started skipping on Thursday. That’s ok, but they miss whatever they miss. Now, however, students start asking two weeks before if I can make arrangements for them to miss Tuesday as well…after all, they can leave early Thursday, maybe no classes on Wednesday, so now they just push a little farther.</p>
<p>As always, I tell them they can make their own choices…you would be amazed how low attendance is for the week–even if projects/tests/assignments are scheduled!</p>
<p>Neither of my two kids will be coming home for Thanksgiving. 
D is a freshman at a school in Seattle that runs on the quarter system, so finals are almost immediately after the Thanksgiving break. S is a senior in state and will be traveling to the Virgin Islands on an EC-related activity (expenses paid). Thanksgiving will be really strange without my kids. </p>
<p>On a positive note, D is so happy at school that time is flying by for her and she said she likely won’t be as homesick as she thought she might be. :)</p>
<p>Care package ideas. Recently sent a frozen store birthday cake- it got there via UPS less than 24 hours after sent (sent late in day, late a.m. delivery). Check to see how many days it would take from your place to college. Ice cream type goods may not work, but a pie could. I knew it would be cold in that warehouse and truck and that a frozen cake would be fresher and travel better (the grocery store keeps most cakes frozen- they added H- B- X- and glued the cardboard plate bottom to the plastic case with frosting so it wouldn’t slide in the cake box, I added a cereal box and leftover plastic air pillows to a box we had a delivery in. You may consider how cold it is and send frozen goods that will still be cold upon arrival, and add dry ice. I know Wisconsin cheese places won’t ship in summer months but do now when temps are lower.</p>
<p>Restaurants - remind her to get reservations. Also some pizza places and fast food places may be closed since they expect few customers- college towns empty out so her close by stores may not be open.</p>
<p>My S isn’t coming home for Thanksgiving either. Fortunately his aunt & uncle live nearby so he has somewhere to go for Thanksgiving dinner. I love the idea of a care package, that is a really thoughtful thing to do. I’m sure some homemade pumpkin cookies would be appreciated.</p>
<p>My mom bought my plane ticket for thanksgiving in July so that we could be sure and afford it. </p>
<p>I’m splitting gas with 3 girls from my area to drive home for Christmas. I would drive for Thanksgiving, but it’s a 9-hour drive, and it just doesn’t seem worth the drive for four days at home.</p>
<p>update! my youngest is coming home after all…a slight schedule change and now he will be able to be home for the entire week! yahoo!</p>
<p>i’ll be cooking dinner after all–but i love to do thanksgiving. i hate to cook almost any other time of the year, but i love the whole thanksgiving dinner!</p>
<p>i’m so lucky that my school is within driving distance. like last year, i’m spending the first half of break with my boyfriend’s family in northern connecticut, and the second half with my own family in new york city. i can’t wait. :)</p>
<p>I have an update too - my S is also coming home! 
He will miss a couple of classes on Wednesday, but he really wants to be home for this first Thanksgiving. The plane tickets were only slightly outrageous.</p>
<p>When I went to school a day’s car ride from home, I went home with a roommate one year. Another year I stayed on campus but it was pretty sad cause everything shut down. Two of us ate in a restaurant but it wasn’t very much fun, and the other meals made in the dorm kitchen (remember beanie weenie?) were…interesting.</p>
<p>So I’m glad S is coming home. He does have those Wednesday classes, however.</p>
<p>My daughter’s boyfriend is going to be visiting from FL, so I know she will have some real fun. And her roommate is staying at college too… She said her boyfriend wants to do some cooking for Thanksgiving, but they have no oven only a two-burner stove and a microwave. Pasta will rule the day, I guess. I think I will send a package with some homemade cookies and fudge and thought about sending a fruit basket. I already sent up a basket with chocolate turkeys, mittens, mixes, make up, hot chocolate, and soups in it. Fun for mom! Costing about what it would cost to fly her home. Ha!</p>
<p>I posted earlier that my S is not coming home for Thanksgiving, but will remain on campus, his choice. When I talked to him today, he said he wished that H and I could come to California and visit him for Thanksgiving! How sweet! He is definitely missing us. </p>
<p>He’ll be home in mid-December for winter break, and I can’t wait for that.</p>