Not only was the meal mouthwatering, the fellowship made each of us feel at home. Our group has grown close this semester as we travel together and support each other during lonely times. It's unfortunate that we spent Thanksgiving away from our families, but being with these friends brought home as close as possible.

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Professor Whittaker with the turkey (shh.. don't tell the Turks!)

November 23, 2007

Lesson Ten: Despite the irony, we can celebrate Thanksgiving in Turkey

I didn't look forward to spending Thanksgiving away from family. For years my family has planned a trip to Chicago to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade and shop on Black Friday. When I discovered Mom planned the trip for this year without me, I was devastated. I wanted to spend time with my family on this special holiday, not to be alone on the opposite side of the world. I wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving, too!

Thanksgiving is a special time for my family to reflect upon the year’s blessings and the beginning of the Christmas celebration. Despite being physically separated from my family, I still have numerous things to be thankful for this year. One specific blessing was the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with my American program. Last night, we met at our professors’ apartment and enjoyed a delicious meal. They went to the consulate and purchased a Butterball turkey, ham, stuffing, and cranberry sauce; the rest of us brought side dishes.