With late night study seshes being fueled by Ramen and Redbull, Thanksgiving has been the light at the end of this dark tunnel. Seeing friends and family, eating a hearty home-cooked meal, and doing absolutely nothing but sleeping and shopping for days in a row… it’s almost too good to be true.

But it’s not! It’s real. And I’m so thankful for this refreshing calm before the storm that is finals that it almost makes me want to stay home in a cranberry sauce-induced food coma forever. Because as great as college life is and as grateful as I am to be here, there are a few aspects of it that I am oh so NOT thankful for.

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Even though being a post-grad hasn’t been an easy ride (biggest understatement of the year), I have plenty of things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season. So in honor of the holiday and my new “the bowl of stuffing is half full” mentality, here is a list of post-grad things worth celebrating this time of year:

1. Graduation gifts – Luckily when you graduate, people give you gifts and money and things that you need. Even though these gifts are like “Hey, you’re out of college now and you’re kinda on your own so here is some luggage,” they make transitioning very happy.

2. I’m cafeteria free – Albeit eating in a dining hall and having a meal plan is convenient, not having to eat food made for 800 people is a dream. Do you know how amazing it is to eat food that is warm and flavorful? Maybe my alma mater wasn’t too fabulous in the food department (minus the Swedish meatballs … I lived for those), so I’m alone on this one, but I’ll take making myself food any day over dining hall slop.

3. I can wear my underwear whenever I want – Seriously, every time I would just want to veg out in my dorm room and just comfortably enjoy being in my underwear (with a bag of chips), someone would knock. (Editor’s Note: Thank god they didn’t just walk in. Awkward!) And you know, then you have to get up, put on pants, and open the door. Not now. I can wear my underwear all day and no one bothers me. Hooray!

4. No drama – Getting away from college has been a blessing. No gossip. No drama. Just memories and keeping-in-touch with those I want to (and staying far, far away from those I don’t).  I don’t have to deal with classroom politics, and I don’t have to deal with drunken sorority girls elbowing me on dance floors. It’s great being able to step back from the stuff that made me go “Ughh, I’m so over it.”

5. I have a degree– Even though it may not be enough to find the kind of job I want, I’m glad I have my Bachelors and I’m glad I worked my ass off to get it. College went fast, but the knowledge and the subjects that interest me will last a lifetime. No complaints there! Read More »

I'm getting nauseous just looking at this spread...

Unlike the rest of the world, Thanksgiving is my least-favorite holiday. I know, I know—the food, the laziness, the time off from work, the family (well . . . maybe that’s not such a plus)—what’s not to love?

For starters, I am a near vegetarian (I say “near” only because I will eat meat if other people prepare it for me) and I just plain dislike the taste of meat. So while the turkey is the main event for almost everyone I know, it kind of makes me wrinkle my nose. No, thank you.

I’m not above tolerating a meal I don’t like for one day out of the year, but the smell of Thanksgiving food cooking actually makes me feel slightly nauseous. This isn’t just because of the turkey—it’s a long story. (Warning: If you are of the weak stomach, I’d recommend you stop reading now.)

In seventh grade, my family hosted an exchange student from Germany for a couple of weeks in the fall, and we thought it would be fun to make a “practice” Thanksgiving dinner to share with her while she was there so she could experience a new holiday. Read More »

I’m going to be honest: I’m not dying for Thanksgiving break like the rest of my freshman companions. Everyone around me seems to miss home, miss their parents, and miss their beds so much that they can’t wait to get on a plane.

It seems like everyone’s FB status is something about “ONE MORE WEEK!”– even people who are totally thriving and happy college freshmen.

I, however, am completely happy at school. I love my life here and my friends and I don’t really have any homesickness pangs. Don’t get me wrong; I’m excited to see my high school friends, my family, and – AHEM – Pumpkin Pie, but I just don’t feel so uber excited to go home like everyone else.

But since I am going home, I guess there are a few things I can’t wait to leave behind in the dorms for a week….

1. Shower Sandals. I seriously DESPISE wearing sandals in the shower– even though I have really cute pink Havaianas, the whole concept of needing shoes to shield yourself from germs (when you’re trying to get clean in the first place) really bugs me. Oh, and I will not miss the girl on my hall who must lose half her hair every time she showers — the showers/floors look like a salon post-haircut, pre-sweep. Nasty with a capital N. Private shower, here I come.

2. Not needing a key to get in my room. Simple. I have a ghetto key, not a sliding ID card like many of my friends. I’ll be able to walk into my room with stuff in my hands/not have to drop everything to open my door/look like a lunatic when I have to scramble through to depths of my Mary Poppins-esque Hobo bag to find my keys whenever I need to get something from my bed. Read More »

Okay, okay, so Kelly Clarkson’s new single is nothing like we had hoped it would be, especially in light of how awesome the singles off her last album proved.

I couldn’t find one guy, straight or otherwise, who wasn’t obsessed with Since U Been Gone. (i.e, this)

People in Kelly’s camp are not taking this situation lightly, as poor Kelly is being slammed for not going with her previous team of producers and songwriters for her album, My December, with a release date that has been held off until July 24th as a result of all the disagreements. Instead, Kelly opted to take a more original, authentic route by penning the majority of the songs herself.

So far, her noble efforts havn’t worked so well. Clarkson’s label hates her stuff so much, that they went so far as to pawn Lindsay Lohan songs from her last album, on to Kelly, as if no one would notice the same song on both CD’s!

According to People, Kelly broke it down for MTV in a juicy and lengthy confession:

“My label literally sent me a Lindsay Lohan track from her last album and wanted me to record it for my new album…and while I like Lindsay Lohan, like I’m cool with her and I think she sings the song well … it’s already been on an album. I don’t care what pop star it is.” Read More »

Oh my god. I never thought I would say this. Kelly Clarkson’s new song SUCKS!

What is going on here? I’ve always loved Kelly Clarkson. In all my years of watching of American Idol, I voted exactly one time and it was for Kelly. I even seriously contemplated dying my hair like the cover of her Thankful album, (with the bright red and platinum blonde streaks). Thankfully, I didn’t– but that’s how much I loved her. Not to mention the fact that nothing is more perfect for a run at the gym or singing along with your car windows down than her last album Breakaway.

So what gives? When I was home over Spring Break, I was shocked when my best friend told me she cringed every time she heard a Kelly Clarkson song.

“WHAT do you mean? I loooove her” I replied in astonishment.

To which my best friend pointed out that on 90% of her songs, Kel screams. “Uch whatever” I thought and I pushed her criticism aside. I mean after all this friend of mine doesn’t like Christina Aguilera OR Chris Daughtry’s voices either- what does she know?! Read More »