Hey everybody, it’s Mellie. In this cozy Thanksgiving PhD vlog, I’m basically speed-running a full hosting day: cleaning my place, prepping Filipino food, and trying not to panic while the clock is bullying me. I walk you through my menu (lumpia, pancit, and a maybe-dessert situation) and I’m super honest about what’s actually the most laborious part—wrapping lumpia with only two hands is truly a character-building exercise. I also had a very real “I forgot to defrost the chicken” moment, so if you’re also a chaotic-but-trying grad student, you’ll feel seen. I also yap about coffee, because my taste has changed a lot over the past year. I used to be more of a matcha girly (still am), but I’ve been easing into coffee as long as it’s not super strong—otherwise I get palpitations. I talk about why I’m way happier with my Nespresso/espresso setup compared to the Keurig in my office (it tasted watery to me and didn’t give that satisfying coffee vibe). The night ends with friends, lots of food, a very cramped space (like… almost 20 people), and then a 3:37 a.m. cleanup. We even decide to do a Friendsgiving part two with leftovers—because apparently I love hosting, I just need a community room next time.