Thanksgiving

Today is a weird day at the American Junior Year building.  There is a weird sense of melancholy mixed with urgency in the air, and it is easy to pinpoint why.  Today is Thanksgiving.  For most of us here, this is the first time in our 20+ years of life that we are missing this beloved holiday.  The first time we will be without friends and family on a day meant to express your gratitude for those very things.  Most of us who are currently in the building are doing some homework or some other form of procrastination, but the focus is off.  We all seem to know that we are just trying to keep our minds off of family.  Breanne and I are about to go to a bakery to get a small snack because we have finally admitted to ourselves that we aren’t focused on homework anyway.

Missing Thanksgiving is really hard for me personally.  It is one of my favorite holidays and it is full of so many traditions that I love.  In our family, no one usually changes out of their pajamas all day and we go outside and play cornhole in our pajamas.  Yes we live on a military base and our neighbors can totally see us, but we do it anyway.  Then throughout the morning I help my mom prep the Thanksgiving dinner, and my dad and I always make some form of bread or rolls together.  Finally, usually around 4 o’ clock, we all sit down for a delicious meal and laugh and joke with each other.  This is pretty much how it goes every year and it is honestly just the best day filled with food, family, and love.

My study abroad program is hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for all of us this evening.  I really appreciate the effort they are going through.  Our director is an amazing woman and I think she knows how hard it is for us to be away from home.  I’ve heard that the food isn’t quite the same as back home, but it is still pretty good, so I am looking forward to it.  It will be a fun way to spend the evening with friends.

Tomorrow (Friday) also marks 1 month from when everyone will be going home.  I am going home for Christmas break and then coming back, but most of my friends will be staying back in the states.  It is definitely going to be a new challenge when they’re gone, but the second group of students will be coming just a few months later, so I know I will get to meet more people and make more friends.

All in all though, I am definitely feeling pretty homesick today, but it is Thanksgiving so I am counting my blessings as well.  I am so thankful for this opportunity.  I have already grown and learned so much and my journey has only just begun.  I am thankful for the friendships I have gained and for those that I already had but have been strengthened.  I am thankful for my study abroad program and the people who run it.  They are always doing everything in their power to help make us more comfortable.  I am thankful for my family who still shows me their love from far away and that I will get to see them soon.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day with friends and family.  Do not forget to take time to remember what you are thankful for and really feel that gratitude.  Life is always a rollercoaster, but take comfort in the things and people that have made it a smoother ride.