A Guide To Surviving Straggler Thanksgiving
Plan Early
Unless you genuinely want to spend that time alone (we have some tips for you, too, loners), the holidays are a sad, sad time to get caught with your pants down, i.e. with nowhere to go and no one to talk to. It might be a little late for this portion of the guide, but start putting out feelers early and nail down concrete plans as soon as possible. Foreigners in particular are good to check in with, since they don’t bother to travel for the holiday but do bother to party. And don’t you be bashful! Everyone is super welcoming and way nicer than usual at Thanksgiving (much moreso than Christmas, actually), so invite yourself over and make specific offers about delicious things you can contribute. I’ve managed to coast all these years bringing nothing but wine and side dishes, so know that it’s imminently possible.
Alternately, a friend of mine used to buy shopping bags full of beer and go house to house visiting friends, trading beer for food along the way. This seems perfect, too. Whether you’re hosting, crashing, or just doing the roaming beer-swap thing, figure it out now.