<p>I’m looking ahead to next year when my child will be a freshman (student athlete), completely across the country from home. My athlete knows that Thanksgiving will likely be spent with a friend or relative who lives close to the school since we’ll likely not be able to afford two coast to coast trips in four weeks. And my athlete knows that since competition season and training will resume immediately after Christmas, the Christmas break at home will be less than a week. I suspect my kid will find this a bit easier than the rest of us in the family. How did other families cope with not having their far away college kids around much for the holidays? Or do most families fly them back for both holidays?</p>
<p>We are not flying my D home for Thanksgiving…it just isn’t enough time when they only have four days off and spend two of them traveling. She actually made the decision since classes end the next week, followed by finals so she thought staying on campus (she will spend Thanksgiving Day and one night with a local friend) would be a better use of her time. She will then be home for a month break mid December - mid January so that is easier to take than your short time…</p>
<p>My kid had a full week off for Thanksgiving. BUT when they returned, they had four days of classes and then exams. It just wasn’t in our budget to fly her across country to come home…and then do the same less than two weeks later. She took an inexpensive shuttle every thanksgiving in college and spent four wonderful Thanksgiving weeks with her aunt and uncle. Then flew home after exams.</p>
<p>My daughter hasn’t been home in 4 years for thanksgiving. It’s too short, too expensive, and she isn’t terribly fond of flying. She goes to a friend’s who lives closer to campus and usually doesn’t even stay the whole weekend since there is always schoolwork to be done and the dorms are open.</p>
<p>It is kind of sad but we call each other and after a couple of years it feels normal. It makes Christmas more special - especially on those years when she doesn’t make it home over summer either.</p>
<p>Last year she was in London - and had class. But she made thanksgiving dinner for her new friends. She sent photos - it was fun. She made her favorite dishes - chicken, stuffing, and apple pie.</p>
<p>And this is where the colleges on a trimester system start to look REALLY good! :D</p>
<p>My kid’s been at school on the other side of the country for a few years now, and he never expected to come home for Thanksgiving. It’s just cost-prohibitive. He has lots of friends, as well as family not too far away, and he’s never had a problem finding wonderful places to stay.</p>
<p>I haven’t seen my oldest for thanksgiving in years at this point. Now that she is working, she’s not coming either. You get used to it. </p>
<p>I think next year we are actually going to fly out to her. Talk about something making you feel old. ;)</p>
<p>I have a kid in LA. Absolutely not worth the trip; it’s hard on her, hard on us and expensive and filled with travel worries.</p>
<p>This year our daughter will be here for Thanksgiving for the first time since 2005 (when she was a HS senior). Four years in college, and then three holidays away in the Peace Corps (her term of service ended last year just before Thanksgiving and she was traveling).</p>
<p>Its been 10 years since son has been home for t-day/Hanukkah. It wasn’t worth it to fly across country for a few days. There were several years I went to CA, as dating somewhere there. Eventually, he went home with friends for holidays.</p>
<p>It didn’t cross our minds to have DD fly home (NH to CA) for thanksgiving, after all I never did (IL to OR). expensive, not enough time, weather … and the real risk of getting sick from airplane air.</p>
<p>The first one was a little hard for her, she hadn’t found really good friends yet, but then, she lucked into an older group that invited her to join and she had a great time. After that, she made a thanksgiving with friends and sounds like some of the best times were had. Big story of making pumpkin pie only with a real pumpkin because they couldn’t find canned. </p>
<p>It is kind of hard on this end, especially that first year when she sounded lonely. After that, we were good. And ever after that she appreciated the quiet time to study so she came into reading week and finals really caught up on sleep and work. </p>
<p>We are excited because this is the first year in 5 that our little 4some is together again for Thanksgiving. They both will be legal for Champagne which boggles my mind even more@</p>
<p>edit to add SKYPE is your friend. seeing their faces and shouting at her and showing her the table can be a good thing.</p>
<p>My D went to school half way across the country from us. She still lives there, she has come home one year for thanksgiving. </p>
<p>The first year was rough, I won’t lie. We thought we had plans for her to spend thanksgiving with (former) family friends but they flaked out and she had to scramble to find plans at the last minute. It was tough for all of us. Of course my MIL wanted to take family portraits at that thanksgiving without her, I was pretty upset. I thought it was very thoughtless as I was really missing the loss. </p>
<p>The next year I bought D a plane ticket for her birthday present as I found a flight at a very good price. If I could find anything close to that price I would do it again but prices are way up. Now she spends thanksgiving with her boyfriends family. I am thankful that she has somewhere to go with people she feels comfortable with. I still will miss her.</p>
<p>I am very happy she is not coming home this year with all of the weather out there. She is busy with work and wouldn’t be able to fly out until tonight. I’m glad she only has to drive an hour to get to boyfriends parents.</p>
<p>Thanksgiving isn’t that big a deal to me because since my mom passed, my kids have spent it with their dad anyway. Last year and this year, I ended up spending the day picking up my cousin’s daughter (who is from Alaska and going to the University of Michigan) and having Thanksgiving at my aunt’s house. Before that, I always went to a friend’s house and I kind of miss that, honestly. </p>
<p>My D and I have talked about exorbitant air fares for this weekend and are thinking that maybe next year, we’ll fly her home for her fall break (Election day weekend) instead of Thanksgiving. We’ll see where my S is going to be before making any firm decisions. If he is in Providence or Ithaca, it might make the most sense for us to all meet in NYC for Thanksgiving. I would love to see the Macy’s parade :)</p>
<p>Oldest DD brought a friend home for Thanksgiving two years, then we moved cross country and they cooked their own dinner the third year. She was gone with the Peace Corps for two years, home for Thanksgiving while finishing grad school and is now overseas for the second year. She won’t be home for Christmas either.</p>
<p>Middle DD has been overseas for the last three Thanksgivings.</p>
<p>My youngest son’s college has a wonderful week off. He came home Saturday and will leave Sunday. I think this is how colleges should do Thanksgiving break. The only fall break they have is the Monday off for Columbus day.</p>
<p>DD did not come home after freshman year and when she she was working. It is just too much and there were enough people at school that they did their own Thanksgiving dinner party. This year she had time off before Thanksgiving but has to be back to work Black Friday. So we are doing Thanksgiving today. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!</p>
<p>Some of your posts are very touching. My D school is on the trimester in the northeast and we live on the west coast she arrived last Sunday and won’t return till Jan 5th. Your post are really tearing me up and making feel more thankful of her being home, its a blessing. She could have been like many kids who live so far away from home which makes its impractical to make it home for Thanksgiving. I pray and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and hope you have the opportunity to see your beautiful children for the next two holidays! God bless you all!</p>
<p>Like others here my D did not come home to the West Coast for Thanksgiving during college since she is in New York City. Last year my H and I went to New York for a week at Thanksgiving since both of our D’s were there. We flew on Thanksgiving Day so it wasn’t as busy and came home a week later. This year D1 is out of college, but still living and working in NYC. She is not coming home for Thanksgiving, but will be home for 13 days at Christmas which we are so excited about!</p>
<p>No, we never flew the two older kids home for Thanksgiving - 3 airports for what amounts two 2 days of travel and 2 days home with high risk for bad weather. Nope. Waste of money and too much stress for everyone. They have had so much fun cooking and making a feast with all their friends ,most of whose parents also said “no way” to days of travel, they didn’t “miss us” in the least. A couple years each of them did go “home” with one of the more local students so they had options. We are loving the fact that #3 chose a college within driving distance. He arrived home yesterday afternoon and it’s fun to see him again.</p>
<p>First, I went to school about 800 miles (and often two airports) away but it would never have occurred to my parents for me not to fly home. My mother missed me too much. 
Of course, I was in the South and the weather generally wasn’t an issue this time of year.</p>
<p>This marks year 4 for us of my oldest not being here for Thanksgiving. He is about 800 miles away and if drives about 90 miles, he is just a direct flight from here. But he is involved in a fall sport and therefore, can’t come home anyway. His freshman and sophomore years we went to him (sort of) but since they played on Thanksgiving day we didn’t have dinner with him. But went to the game and then spent the weekend with him. We have family in the area so we spent Thanksgiving with them.</p>
<p>Last year was hard, because his school changed conferences and what had been a Tgiving day game changed to Saturday and it just wasn’t practical for us to go. Last year, he ate with the team, this year he is going to someone’s home in the area. </p>
<p>It doesn’t bother him, it bothers me, because I go so long without seeing him. Visits in the Fall are impractical because of his schedule. He comes home at Winter break, but it is for a bit of time here and then a bit of time there because of bowl games.</p>
<p>We did not bring our D home to Calif for TG either- first from Boston, then PSU. Even with a week off it is tough because there are often weather delays that can drag it out to a long trip. She would have had to go back a day or so early in case of delays, so she wouldn’t have missed class. As with others it was just too expensive and winter break came so soon after. It was hard for her the first year as she was a little homesick, but she went home with her roommate. </p>
<p>This year she is in NYC and working, so won’t be home until Christmas. It was hard as this is probably her Grandma’s last TG, but she could not take off work. They do get used to being away for holidays , and even develop their own traditions!</p>