Friendsgiving

During on-campus orientation, we were warned that the holidays in-country might be a little rough. A significant amount of time has passed, so I’ve become much more assimilated to my new environment and don’t feel waves of homesickness as often as I used to. However, when I saw my friends and family back in the U.S. heading home for Thanksgiving break, I wished I could do the same. I’ve never experienced the holidays without my family. And I really wanted to see my dog in her Thanksgiving bandana (that hurt the most).

That being said, my fellow Madrid fellows and I organized a group Thanksgiving dinner a few weeks in advance so that we could still celebrate with the same glorious food despite the slight change of scenery/country. We all signed up to cook a dish or two, and then we planned to meet at Evan’s house on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I’ve never really cooked a formal dish before, so I browsed the Food Network website for a recipe (even though all I had to make was roasted vegetables and buy bread). When I got to El Corte Inglés, I snagged some potatoes, carrots, and what I thought were sweet potatoes (pretty sure they were yams, but it remains unsolved). I also got some root vegetables that I’d never seen before, but they seemed Thanksgiving-y. I didn’t leave myself quite enough time to cook the vegetables, so I was late to Evan’s house and had to carry the platter while it was still hot. (I used my gloves as oven mitts.)

Once I arrived, we took some pictures and ate. Evan’s whole host family was there along with all the Madrid fellows and our two new Spanish friends, Ines and Sofia. There was a Spanish flag and an American flag side-by-side on the table and colorful decorations and hand-turkeys on the walls. As we went around the table to say what we were thankful for, I think I was the most grateful I’d ever been. Although I was away from my American family, the distance made me realize my appreciation for my home and all the people there. The people surrounding me at the dinner table made me realize how thankful I am to be here. And to be able to cook a dish without the parents, aunts, and uncles taking care of everything. And to be able to experience this cultural sharing with the people here who have become close to me. Thanksgiving wasn’t the same, but it was much more meaningful.