My absolute favorite part of Labor Day is that it’s a holiday created to commemorate the contributions, triumphs and hardships of countless American workers, many of whom have lost wages and lives, and yet we celebrate it by taking a day to do nothing. Classic. However, since becoming a college student away from home, I constantly find myself unaware of how to celebrate this day without my mom and dad giving me explicit instructions. To combat my anxiety, I have gone out on my own to discover ways in which we young independents can spend Labor Day Weekend.
Barbeque
Right now, you’re probably congratulating yourself on picking such an innovative and original piece to read. Barbeque? Labor Day? Witchcraft? Put down your pitchforks and pick up your regular forks because I’m here to assure you that it’s actually a very common practice. The great news is that there’s going to be a BBQ outside Beze and Herndon between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 .p.m. You can also go get a pit from Target for around $100 by splitting the check with a group of friends. Or, if you’re feeling extra fancy, visit a popular restaurant around San Antonio like Rudy’s or Smokin’ Joe’s. Maybe you’ll learn how fun trying new things can be– or maybe you’ll get food poisoning from undercooking your own food. Either way, it’ll be a story.
Hiking
It may be hot, but if you get up at the crack of dawn, you can get some amazing walking- err- hiking in. A very popular trail is in McAllister Park. This place is awesome because there are hardly any hills (ew), but the wildflowers are absolutely gorgeous. Another place to find a trail is in the Government Canyon State Natural Area. It’s a bit more difficult due to the rocky roads, but you could spend hours exploring the park because it is huge. Be sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen because this is August in Texas. You probably won’t see me out there because putting that much effort into exercise is for nerds.
Road Trip
Hey, we’re young, we’re free, and we have parents who might pay for gas. These are all perfectly valid reasons to head on out into the wide and wonderful world, even if just for a night or two. Because of time constraints, your little Thelma and Louise adventure will most likely need to take place somewhere in Texas. Go to Austin and see if any good bands are playing at Stubb’s, Emo’s or Auditorium Shores. If you want one last summertime hit, drive up to Corpus Christi and visit the beach. For more local fun, Six Flags and the Schlitterbahn make for a craz- ay afternoon.
Nothing
How much time are you going to have simply to do nothing once classes start rolling? Sit down (or, better yet, lie down) and prop that laptop on your lap for some prime Netflix watching time. You can be nostalgic and indulge your inner child (like in a healthy and not completely creepy way) by catching up on some childhood classics on Netflix like “Cheetah Girls,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and pretty much every conceivable Disney movie. And to answer your burning question, yes, that includes “Cadet Kelly.” If you want to be a Social Sally, call over some friends and have a movie night. You can rent a movie from the library’s pretty fantastic collection and just go ham at the Pod or Taco Taco. Or play a fun game like Cards Against Humanity. Remember: “My collection of high-tech sex toys” card is definitely the trump card. A close second is “Stephen Hawking talking dirty.”
