How I Spent Black Friday as an International Graduate Student

This year, during Thanksgiving break, I truly felt like a student at RIT, rather than just a visitor in Rochester. I stayed inside all day because everything on campus was closed. I made some pasta and watched movies. It was slow and quiet, which was just what I needed after weeks of deadlines.

Technically, Black Friday started before the sun came up, when I was standing in line outside Lowe's for their bucket deal. It seemed a little silly to be half-frozen for a plastic bucket, but walking out with it full of tools, cleaning supplies, and other random home improvement items felt like the best haul ever. That is the height of adulthood.

After that, the day turned into a relaxing one at Steve's Diner. I got a waffle that was completely covered in strawberries, blueberries, Nutella, and berry sauce. The table was filled with thick slices of French toast topped with chocolate. It was one of those brunches where you forget about grades, research proposals, and emails, and just try not to fall asleep at the table.

The real goal for the rest of the day was Christmas. I got decorations with one clear goal: to make my apartment look like a real holiday set. I bought string lights to go around a big window, a small Christmas tree, wall hangings, and some plush characters and village pieces to put on the sill. Every item I put in the cart felt like an investment in future cozy nights and study sessions.

I went to my favorite restaurant, Adelitas, for dinner that night. The table quickly filled up with plates of rice, beans, chimichangas soaked in queso, enchiladas, quesadillas, and baskets of chips and salsa. A big, cheesy Mexican plate can make you forget how tired you are from running around all day and getting through a semester of grad school.

After all the shopping and eating, the best part of Black Friday happened. I put on a movie, turned off the main lights, and slowly changed the apartment when I got home. I put up the little Christmas village, wrapped the window in lights of different colors, and set up the small tree by the TV. Then I stepped back to look at everything. Holding a mug of hot chocolate and sitting under a blanket while watching the lights reflect in the window made the place feel less like student housing and more like my own little Christmas corner of Rochester.