Grab Your Jackets Travel Blog: Thanksgiving with Family and Friends

Well that’s awkward …

I’m just going to be honest, after last week’s performance, I have no desire to go back to campus and watch us play against our rivals who just happen to be the number one team in the country. Say whatever you want about me, I think this match is going to go wrong and I just don’t want to be emotionally pressured into submitting to this experience.

That doesn’t mean I won’t be watching it from my home again, but I cannot in good conscience recommend going to this game in person if you are a Georgia Tech fan. I don’t think it will be worth the time, money, or the frustration it takes. Hopefully the technology proves me wrong and leaves me looking stupid.

Frank Empson / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

With that in mind, most of us are still traveling this weekend. Thanksgiving is a time to get together with family, friends, or anyone dear to you. Stop thinking about stressful things and focus on the people and things that you are grateful to have in your life. So I’m going to take this time to discuss the things you can do for Thanksgiving with your family. Everyone lives in different places so I will try to choose general events. I can’t promise they will all be unique or even great ideas, but I hope they can give you some recommendations for things to do with your family that you wouldn’t normally do.

Things to do with the family

Henry Taylor / The Leaf-Chronicle, Clarksville Leaf-Chronique via Imgn Content Services, LLC

Since we’re still on a sports blog, we’re going to start with something sporty. Take out a game of tactile football in the backyard. Take the time to teach your children how to throw the perfect spiral on the ball. Be sure to use some Georgia Tech players as a benchmark. Tell them they look like Calvin Johnson when they catch the ball … as long as you don’t look like Reggie Ball when you throw the ball at them. Also be sure to teach your kids the correct pitching technique if you want them to perform an option style offense. Feel free to play basketball and baseball if that’s your preference.

Katie Goodale / USA TODAY NETWORK

Another option is to find a park to walk with the family. It can be a bit trickier if you live in a big city like Atlanta, but it’s important to get rid of that extra food. People gain 1.5 pounds on average, so be sure to spend time outdoors to work it all off. Heck, you can even turn your dinner into a picnic sort of thing, bring the food and disposable plates as long as you clean up after. Make sure you bundle up if you plan to go out. It hasn’t been too cold this fall, but you should still be safe.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

If you have to watch sports, there are plenty of other options. The obvious choices are NFL and NCAA football games. The egg bowl has always been a mess over the past few years, the Raiders vs. Cowboys and Buffalo vs. New Orleans games could be interesting. For those who haven’t paid attention, Georgia Tech basketball is doing pretty well this year. They actually play on Friday nights, so if you get the chance, try watching the game on TV or in person. The ladies’ jackets have already played on Wednesday, but you should check them out when you get the chance.

Mark Henle / The Republic

Get away from sports further (sacrilege I know) create a new family recipe to use on Thanksgiving. Now is the perfect time to experiment with new recipes. Of course, you can continue to use the old family recipes, but why not start a new tradition to make something new. After all, grandma’s recipes had to start somewhere. If you want to pass your recipes on to future generations, you have to start trying new recipes and preparing new foods for people to enjoy.

You can play board games, run a movie marathon, put on a play about one of your favorite holiday stories, put out the Christmas decorations, put on some music and have a dance party, put on some old ones. Georgia Tech videos from the 1990 championship year, talk about your time in college … okay, maybe not the last. What happens in college stays in college. There are plenty of things to do for Thanksgiving. Be creative and have fun with your family. So, have a Happy Thanksgiving and remember that no matter what happens on Saturday, we all have a lot to be thankful for.