Is there a recent grad in your life who will be heading off to start college, vocational school, trade school, plans to travel for a year or is headed straight to work? It can be difficult to know what to get them as they head off on new adventures, especially since it may have been a long time since you yourself was heading off into a new experience. Not to worry, we have the perfect list of 5 great gifts to get right here in Downtown Alpena for your graduate!

Chances are that you have been cooking your graduate’s meals their entire lives and cleaning up after them in the kitchen. Therefore, they might need a recipe book full of all of their favorite family recipes to take to school with them and some kitchen cleaning or food storage supplies. These items will give them a bit of comfort and make them think of you when they are missing home. Food has much more power than we realize, and a good bite of something you love that reminds you of home can cure all of the homesick blues. 

College can turn even the most anti-coffee-drinker into a coffee fiend. During those long nights when they will be up studying for an exam or writing a paper, they are going to need a nice mug to fill up once, or eight, times! Many of the locations downtown have cute and fun mugs to keep your graduate energized as they take on new projects. A plus to having their own mug is that it will likely make them feel more at-home in their tiny dorm room!

If your graduate wears jewelry, one of these jewelry dishes from different downtown businesses will be a perfect gift to give them. There is a lot going on inside their heads while they’re away at school, making it easy for them to misplace small things like rings or earrings. These dishes are the perfect spot for them to put all of their small, yet valuable, items. 

If your graduate is an art-lover, you could get them a nice image or painting to remind them of their hometown while they’re away! You can find pieces like these in multiple downtown shops, and they are all one of a kind works of art. Artwork is another one of those things that can truly make a dorm room or small apartment feel much more like home.

There’s a high likelihood that your graduate will be missing some blankets of their own when they head off into their new lives. You can find comfortable blankets like these at many of the different stores downtown. For any college student, a blanket can be handy and comforting for cold nights or long study sessions at their desk. They’ll be happy to have something to keep them warm and happy while away at school.

There are so many amazing things that you can find in the shops around Downtown Alpena. Each thing can be unique for any graduate, and they can mean a lot more coming from their hometown. When you are away at school for so long, you tend to get homesick, and any of these things could be reminders for them of where they came from. 

These items can all be found throughout the shops in Downtown Alpena, and they are great things to keep your graduates cozy and comfortable while they head off on new adventures. The best part is that these gifts represent the uniqueness of Alpena, and they will remind your graduate of why they’ll want to come home to visit you!