Happy Thanksgiving

Every Thanksgiving growing up, my mom would have us hold hands around the table and each say something we were thankful for before gorging on turkey and mashed potatoes and stuffing and cranberry sauce and pecan pie and everything else delicious that comes with traditional Thanksgiving meals. 

I've had periods where I dislike Thanksgiving for all of the usual reasons- overindulgence, the commercialism, the origins of Thanksgiving, yada yada yada. Maybe being away from America is what helps me separate myself from all that so that I can really focus in on the many people, experiences and things I have to be thankful for. As I've gotten older, the number of Thanksgivings spent away from my family and outside of the states is increasing, but so are the number of things I have to be thankful for. Nearly all of them fall into one of two categories: people and experiences. 

I am thankful for my family and friends back home, the ones who I have known my entire life or close to that. I miss them every day but am so grateful for how supportive they are. They were supportive in my decision to move somewhere far away and continue to be there for me when things are rough. I'm thankful for every email, Skype call, or quick text message that reminds me that I too am in there thoughts and am not being forgotten about. 

I'm thankful for this experience. Getting to spend 27 months living in another culture that I used to know so little about. I recognize the deep and unique privilege that I have been given to be able to get up and go somewhere new. I'm thankful for the people who have welcomed me into this place, adopted me as a daughter and sister. Who have invited me to join in all their family celebrations and will feed me until I feel like I'm going to explode. Who will slow down their Arabic so that I can understand what's going on and who will explain to me the really confusing plots of Turkish soap operas.  This whole experience would feel empty and purposeless and plain ol sad without these people.  

The friends I have made through Peace Corps, the other volunteers, are like family. Most of them scoff at this but we all know it's true. Some of the dynamics are slightly dysfunctional, just like all families, but we love each other and there is a level of comfort I have with them that exceeds many other relationships. They're a unique, hardworking, silly group of folks. 

Tonight I will celebrate Thanksgiving by getting together with a group of volunteers. We'll eat chicken because it's too hard to find and roast a turkey. I'm not sure if we will have pie and there definitely won't be any of those tasty seasonal beers that are coming out around this time, but we'll be together and can collectively give thanks for this experience. 

A happy happy happy Thanksgiving to you all. Be sure to count your blessings and, if you have the chance, eat some pecan pie and think of me during every delicious bite.