I was still able to celebrate ! My coworkers at MEC took me out for a lunch of pie and mash, and my floormates and I cooked a big dinner and had a family meal (no turkey, but lots of pasta! Hey, we're college kids, what do you expect?) The meal was great, and so many people made homemade dishes that it felt like a real Thanksgiving.
Don't get me wrong, I was still pining for home on Thanksgiving! Being away really made me think of all the things I am thankful for, and how much I'm looking forward to returning to many of these things in just a few weeks time... Oh, and I'd be thankful if you followed the jump to read more. :)
My Top 10 "What I'm Thankful for this Thanksgiving!"
(in no particular order, just my musings...)
1. My family back home in New York.
I was so happy to be able to Skype with my family this Thanksgiving (thank you, iPhone Skype app!) I called in to dinner at my uncle's house with my dad's side of the family, then dessert at my aunt's house to talk to my mom's side of the family. Being passed around the table (well... the phone was passed around, but you get what I mean), and just getting to talk to everyone (including my adorable four-year-old cousin!) was such a nice end to my international holiday. It made me so much more excited to go home for Christmas and see everyone.
2. My groups of friends
I feel so fortunate to have a few groups of really close friends, particularly my Fordham crowd, my SHA girls, and my LuHi coworkers. Each group brings out a different part of me, maybe a part I normally would be too shy to let show myself, and for that I am so grateful. I feel I have changed and grown so much thanks to them; each group, and each person, has helped me through some of the happiest and some of the hardest times I have faced. I am lucky to have all of them in my life.
3. My London roommates and "G Flat"
Being here in London has been such an amazing experience, and I know a large part of that is due to my roommates. They've popped up in pictures and in my blog posts, and I am so thankful every day to have them as my closest friends here. We all love to travel, we share similar lifestyle attitudes, we live well together, and we always can laugh and have a good time. I know that my two roommates are a major part of why I have been so happy here.
I am also thankful for "G Flat," our nickname for the group of us that live on the Ground Floor of our building. As I sat around our kitchen table for Thanksgiving dinner with all these people, I realized that three months ago I didn't know any of them at all. And yet here we were cooking, eating, and laughing, celebrating the holiday together as a different kind of family. We may not share freshman and sophomore college year memories, or home universities, or inside jokes from late nights in our dorms, but we have shared something just as big-- this city, and this amazing experience abroad. That kind of bond is certainly something worth celebrating, no matter where we are.
4. The London Tube and my unlimited travel card
I love the Tube. Coming from New York, I never thought that it would be possible to love a public transportation system. But I do! The Tube is so easy to navigate (all colored lines, no numbers! It's a much prettier map), the lines have such interesting names (one is named after Queen Victoria, and one for Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee), and it is SO clean. Spotless. I honestly don't mind taking the Tube because it is so well-kept and brightly lit. It certainly makes the commute more manageable.
While the main reason I got an unlimited Tube card was that it made good financial sense, with my commute four days a week to my internship, having unlimited access to just about anywhere in the City is something I am thankful for. I can be spontaneous and decide to walk around Westminster for the afternoon, or take the train home to freshen up before going back out to meet a friend in Piccadilly Circus. It has allowed me to take advantage of the areas surrounding me, rather than always worrying about having enough money on my card to make a return trip.
5. New York pizza
The promise of this sacred meal has gotten me through the rough patches during my study abroad experience! You can find some decent margherita pizza here, but it's just not the same as a good old New York slice... especially one from my favorite place, Vaccaro's, right on the border of Floral Park and Queens. I've already told my family that this will be my first meal upon coming home, no questions asked.
But it's more than just food to me, it's something my family enjoys together on Friday nights-- it's been a family tradition for as long as I can remember! So I'm thankful for tradition, and if that tradition involves my favorite food, then all the better!
6. The creators of Nutella and Cadbury
Two of my favorite things about London and Europe. Mr. Nutella and Mr. Cadbury... well done, chaps. Well done. I don't think I need to say aaaanything more.
7. Sacred Heart Academy
Even though I graduated two years ago, I don't think I will ever stop being thankful for my high school. I became such a different person during my four years there, and I believe it was a change for the better. I learned how to relax and not take things *as* seriously, met some of my best friends, and had the opportunities to embrace my passions for music and theatre. I had such a proud SHA girl moment while in London... while at a Fordham UK Reception held for alumni and students studying abroad, our president, Father Joseph McShane, asked all the students a bit about ourselves. His work has taken him far and wide, so he is familiar with many different areas in the US and the local schools there, but he spoke particularly high of Sacred Heart when I told him where I attended high school. Just the thought that my small, all-girls Catholic high school impresses the president of my university filled me with such pride in my school.
In the past year I have also truly seen how SHA remains a community long after you pass through the doors after graduation. Through the hardest times imaginable, you can always go "home" to SHA. I am proud to be part of a place that builds caring, strong, and self-giving "women of heart."
8. The opportunity to travel while abroad
I feel very fortunate to have seen so many amazing, beautiful cities while being here. I know being in London is extraordinary in itself, and my weekend trips have added to my experience so much more. I am glad that I am exploring places I never would have thought to see on my own, like Brussels or Munich. I have loved learning about different cultures and seeing different countries' lifestyles and traditions. Traveling has been such an enriching part of my time here, and I am immensely thankful for it.
9. Delta Airlines and John F. Kennedy Airport
I am very thankful for Delta, and the big beautiful airplane that (in less than one month's time) will fly me home. And I am thankful for JFK-- I look forward to seeing it again very soon. :) (all I ask is that New York waits to start blizzard season until after December 17th... not too big a request, right?)
10. You, reader of my blog
I am thankful for you, (yes, you!) whoever you are, reading my blog right now. For being here through the highs and lows of my time here, for your Facebook photo/status comments, or for your comments here on my posts. I appreciate you spending your time here (especially during the longer posts, such as this one), and have loved sharing my adventures with you. To you who have stuck by me, kept me in touch with home, and kept me in mind these past few months, I thank you. It means more to me than you know... I am thankful for you this Thanksgiving.
So Happy Turkey Day, all! I hope you enjoyed your holiday and your holiday food comas, and I can't wait to see you all soon.
Awww Megan! <3 can't wait to see you!
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