Believe it or not, Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Many USC students are preparing for a long drive or flight home for the break, but if you are planning to stay on campus or live in Southern California, here are some perfect day or overnight trips nearby to get out of the hustle and bustle of Downtown Los Angeles.

As the fall season is in full swing, temperatures are cooling down, and Thanksgiving is around the corner, which means there are many fun festivities to take part in. Fall is the season for pumpkin spice, football, and a reminder to be thankful for our loved ones. Bearing in mind everyone has different holiday experiences, I know it’s common for students to stay in LA during Thanksgiving, so here are a few potential events and places you can visit to incorporate some holiday goodness into your busy college life.

By: Cameryn Baker ‘22

Spending Thanksgiving on campus? Here’s what you can do! You’ve probably begun to notice now that campus is getting increasingly abuzz about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday as if Thursday night’s Conquest festival wasn’t enough excitement. You’ve probably heard people around school having conversations about how excited they are for Thanksgiving dinner, seen people in your hall packing their bags for their flights home, or noticed the people you follow on Instagram posting countdowns of the days left until they reunite with their families. It’s enough to change the air with all the excitement of an upcoming break from school. But what if you have no conversations about Thanksgiving food, no plane ticket home, and no countdown? What if you’re stuck on campus for Thanksgiving? It may seem like something to put a damper on the holiday excitement—if not extinguish it completely.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

Thanksgiving is about being thankful. I am thankful to be at USC playing the sport that I love at the most elite level. What our team does everyday is what so many players dream of. But most importantly, I am thankful I get share my college experience with my teammates. My teammates are the most incredible individuals and they are my family.

By: Kelly Kinas ‘16

Let me guess. You have always wondering what Thanksgiving dish you are. Isn’t that why we take all of those BuzzFeed quizzes? I suddenly had to know what song from Justin Bieber’s new album matches the closest with my personality.

By: Kelly Kinas ‘17

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving, whether they went home or stayed on campus! I went home for two days and came back in time for the Notre Dame Game (Fight on!) but Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. That might have something to do with the fact that my birthday is November 29th ( today !! ) and Thanksgiving is the closest holiday. Truthfully, it probably has more to do with the food. For all of you who stayed at USC or didn’t get to celebrate, here is the rundown of my Thanksgiving and you can live out your holiday fantasies through these photos.

By: Lauren Brose ‘15

Thanksgiving break is just weeks away. Many return home to be reunited with family but most importantly we have a ton (and I mean TON) of Netflix to catch up on. It seems like the norm these days is the watch Netflix when you’re not in the mood for human interaction. Ironically, when I go home to see my family we utilize Netflix as a means for getting everyone in the same room to enjoy quality home entertainment. Whatever you use Netflix for, consider some suggestions that I have received from family, friends and my personal (and eclectic I hope) taste.