By Shae Whittle | Reporter
The countdown to break is in full swing, as professors assign their final class projects and students pack up their essentials to take home. For out-of-state students, however, it can feel impossible to channel the “home for the holidays” spirit from sometimes over 1,000 miles away.
It may feel as though Thanksgiving feasts and Christmas cookies are reserved for childhood homes, but there’s a long list of things to do in Waco to bring that same hometown feel to Texas.
Don’t be afraid to bring your traditions with you when you return to Waco after Thanksgiving. Go to a local neighborhood to rank the best Christmas light displays, or put up a full-size tree in your apartment and have a decorating party with your roommates. Make a quick trip to Target or Hobby Lobby for a fake tree and some pine- scented air fresheners that will transform your place with the nostalgia of your childhood home.
“I drive around a lot with my friends and look at the Christmas lights. It’s something I do back home, too,” Portland junior Emma Raymond said. “It just feels more homey. It feels more like driving around the neighborhoods to remind you that it’s also a place where families live and a place where people live their lives with their kids, and that also kind of reminds me of home.”
Another key trick to feeling at home during the holidays is to create new traditions, especially ones that are specific to Baylor and the surrounding Waco area. Nowhere else in the world can you experience Christmas on Fifth, which allows students to view a live Nativity scene, tell Santa all of their Christmas wishes and hear live music with fake snow falling right before their eyes.
After the on-campus festivities, spend a Christmas with Chip and Joanna Gaines at the Magnolia Silos, shopping all of the holiday collections and taking in the decorations. Next, check out Cameron Park Zoo, which decorates the grounds with lights and displays, and pay a visit to downtown Waco’s three-day celebration of Waco Wonderland Dec. 1-3.
Whether you’re keeping up with old traditions or making new ones, the best thing to do is to be wherever your feet are planted and find joy in those celebrations.
“Just being grateful for the opportunity to have time to relax with family or friends — I think it’s important to do it with both,” Charlotte, N.C., junior Hayden Fox said. “I think a lot of people can overwork during the holidays, like ‘Oh I’ve got to make it perfect for everyone.’ I think everyone should work together to get the stuff done and make it enjoyable for everyone.”
