This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s senior fall editorial intern Arianna Nahim. Find her on Instagram at @ariannanahim. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
As we university students have built our new routines and no doubt become busier than we were the school year before, we may need more spare time. You may think you barely have time to eat between classes, jobs, and extracurriculars. Well, I bet you could find some spare time on Sunday, the day of rest, to gather those close to you and enjoy a meal together. And I want to break down why this is actually a vital tradition to incorporate into your everyday life.
In the world we live in today, everything is all go, go, go. Go study, go to work, go make money. This society and the economic system we live in today demand this from us. Rather than being given adequate time to focus on familial, platonic, and romantic connections, we are instead expected to sacrifice that. While I know that I can’t expect us to all just deconstruct this deeply embedded system, we can find ways to get some of ourselves back. But why should we do this? Well, I’m glad you asked.
The Facts
Humans are inherently social creatures. It is scientifically proven that social interaction is a considerable basic human need. It is so needed that it is believed to be a vital part of our survival. In prehistoric times, the more people in a group, the higher your chance of survival was. You had more people to rely on for safety and protection. As time has progressed, that need has evolved with us. Instead of having a dependable number of people to hunt a mammoth, we’ve turned to this same number for help moving in and out of our apartments.
What we will always need is a village. A village can’t just be your family, either. As we grow as people and come of age, we’ll more than likely uproot ourselves from all we know more and more—for example, university life. Some people come from places they’ve lived in their whole lives and then one day find themselves in a different state for four whole years. It’s unrealistic and unhealthy to stay to yourself throughout that time. You should be planting roots wherever you go. This way, you mark every place you spend your time. This is how we imprint ourselves into our ever-changing world. Building any sort of community or “village” helps us do this. So, how do we do this?
But How Do I Do It?
Obviously, if you want a community, you’ll have to put yourself out there. You have to be willing to cast your line out if you expect to catch anything. But this isn’t an article on how to do that, but instead how to maintain that or how to build upon that. If you want a sustainable and dependable community, you must interact with it in bonding ways, like a weekly dinner to maintain it. I’ve noticed amongst my peers that many people fade from previous friends either because they just got too busy or because neither made an effort first to maintain that connection. It’s understandable, and life gets busy. However, when you set aside specific time to gather with those important to you, it helps you and those around you. You strengthen your bonds when you tell people close to you that they are important enough to you that you want to make time for them. These are bonds that could last you a lifetime.
So here’s how you are going to do it. Ideally, these would be people you can gather with in person. If you can’t, that’s completely fine! You can always organize this as a virtual experience over Zoom, group FaceTime, or any other application allowing multiple video chats. Then, you can arrange these dinners through accessible applications like Google Calendar or TimeTree. With these applications, you can make group calendars for multiple people. Once you’ve picked a day, it’s time to figure out dinner! Now, my friends do it to split up the responsibility. One or two of them cook the main course; one person buys the beverages, and another two figure out the dessert. At the night’s end, everyone bands together and helps clean up. It’s a great way to enhance your community and come together towards a common goal. Working towards something and seeing the fruition of your labor together is a great bonding experience.
Recipes
To help you organize your first dinner, I’ve taken the liberty of providing a recipe idea below. This is a recipe you may already be familiar with. The viral “Vodka Sauce Pasta.” It was popularized by Gigi Hadid and has since then seen a lot of different kitchens, including mine. This is a super easy recipe and a good one to work together with your loved ones!
Now, what do you have for dessert? That’s a great question! Here is a recipe for homemade “Rice Krispy Treats” for after-dinner. This is such a yummy dessert that all my friends love. It’s also a great choice because it isn’t a regular chocolate dish. It is also a great nostalgic treat.
All right, so you may know by now that I greatly support these types of gatherings. Not only will they improve your week, but they’re just plain fun. You’ll get to hang out with the people you love, make new memories, and learn new cooking skills. Consider incorporating something like this into your schedule to maintain a healthy community.
Do you agree? Would you make dinner with friends a part of your routine?
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