Undeterred by weather, a flagging economy or a spike in the price of travel, an estimated 42.5 million Americans took the skies, railways and roads to be with family and friends this Thanksgiving.
On a campus where 13 percent of students are out-of-state, Eastern Michigan University students preferred to pack their bags and spend the holiday break—lasting Wednesday through Sunday—closer to home.
Freshman Kyndra Maertz, who was adopted at 3 years old, said she couldn’t imagine being anywhere but her adoptive parents’ home near Grand Rapids for holidays.
“I wouldn’t miss Thanksgiving, or any major holiday for that matter, with them if I could help it,” Maertz said. “Since I was little, I’ve always loved spending the holidays at home and everyone coming over…There’s something so comforting about being in your own home, surrounded by people who love you and doing those same old traditions you always have. To me, it’s not boring; it’s the opposite.”
For Maertz, the commute home was trouble-free. Wednesday morning she was homeward bound and 2 ½ hours later she arrived in her 2004 Ford Explorer. But not all drivers were as lucky. The same day Maertz departed from EMU, two major storms were expected to hit the Northeast and Northwest, which travelers feared would potentially delay highway and airport movement of active transportation hubs. The storms did, in fact, hit both areas hard.
According to the National Weather Service, the Northeast storm moved through the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic and onto New England, carrying “a wintry mix of precipitation, with a mixture of snow and freezing rain possible from upstate New York into upper New England, with total snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches.”
The rains along the East Coast lead to minor flooding, gusty winds and heavy snow across northern New England. All in all, a total of 12 counties in the Portland, Maine area were under advisories, watches or severe weather warnings, reported ABC’s Portland, affiliate, WMTW.
Additionally, driveway seal leaked from the back of a pickup truck along a 40-mile stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Approximately 90 percent of the 42.5 million Americans who traveled Wednesday did so by car. EMU senior Desere Lounds said she was fortunate enough to rarely drive during Thanksgiving week but could relate to the dangerous conditions imposed on travelers.
“I felt so bad for the people out east,” said Lounds, a Jackson resident. “It’s the worst when you’re trying to get to family and a million things go wrong. Hopefully there weren’t many accidents so their spirits didn’t get down.”
On the West Coast, from Washington to Oregon and into Northern California, major winter storms blew in with flooding, damaging winds and heavy mountain snow bringing the possibilities of mudslides and avalanches.
In Seattle, a powerful cold front brought wind gusts of more than 70 mph, according to ABC affiliate KOMO. Strong winds knocked out power to at least 10,000 people across the region.
Despite poor conditions that lasted for most of the Thanksgiving weekend, freshman Paul Fitzpatrick said he is considering traveling to Georgia for Christmas break. The price of a plane ticket could get in his way, though.
Compared to last year, those who flew during the great Thanksgiving migration might have paid on average 20 percent more for tickets and crowded into 640,000 fewer seats.
“It sucks that no matter how much I plan or save up, I can’t afford a trip because of school getting in the way—money wise or time wise,” Fitzpatrick said half jokingly. “Once I graduate I’m taking a long trip. But until then, I have enough to worry about with tuition.”
The estimated cost of attendance for in-state freshmen students enrolled in 15 credit hours for one fall or winter semester at Eastern (room & board rate and Platinum Meal Plan included) is more than $8,000.
Junior Trent d’Arcy couldn’t afford to fix his car before Thanksgiving, which sits in his friend’s Ypsilanti driveway with a broken tie rod and almost missed out on seeing his family as a result. In order to see them, he made several calls and successfully organized a ride to his home in Midland.
“My friend that goes to [Wayne State University] saved the day,” d’Arcy said. “He came to Ypsilanti to pick me up, we drove to Midland, and I was home for the holidays. I was so grateful I invited him to have dinner with my family, and he did.”
Besides getting a break from school, d’Arcy said seeing his family was the main reason for being thankful this holiday season.
“They helped me get to where I am today,” d’Arcy said. “They’re my motivation for school. So of course I want to see them whenever possible and catch up with them… Being around them was the best part of break no doubt.”
