Thursday marked my first Thanksgiving spent away from the United States and away from my family and closest childhood friends. The day itself was pretty uneventful. A few comments shared around the office and at lunch all saying the same thing, "it is so weird we're not home right now...I wonder what float is passing down the parade route...who won the dog show" etc. but it was nice to be in the same position as so many other people. We all shared family and personal Thanksgiving traditions so the whole essence of Thanksgiving was definitely not lost. I even managed to stream part of the parade from my office! :) The real festivities began when everyone returned home from work. Everyone's spirits were high and getting ready made me feel like I was in high school again--getting ready for homecoming or some other "dress up" event.
The program took us to the Intercontinental Hotel, a swanky hotel close to the UN, where the American Club of Geneva hosts a traditional Thanksgiving meal for anyone, but particularly American workers and their families living here in Geneva. We felt super classy showing up dressed to the 9s, checking our coats, and having a photo snapped as we entered the venue. There was a cocktail hour prior to the meal--I'm not going to lie, it is going to be so bizarre coming home and not being able to enjoy a glass of wine or a drink out on the town with family or friends...definitely have gotten too used to the European lifestyle! We made our way into the ballroom where dinner was being held and I found myself sandwiched in between Kathleen and Danny. Lauren, Mags, and Caro were at the table along with some others and the night from then on out was filled with good food, people, and laughter. We feasted on clam chowder, corn bread, turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and an endless table of desserts. There was even a special line dancing performance--definitely something that has never been part of my traditional Thanksgiving repertoire but hey, this wasn't your typical Thanksgiving to begin with! Later on in the evening they invited everyone (aka our program) onto the dance floor to learn their moves. This pretty quickly turned into BU dominating the dance floor, along with an adorable little blonde girl, and before too long I had been spun up and down the dance floor by my nearest and dearest on this side of the Atlantic. I was able to talk to Mom and Dad on Thanksgiving day which was nice and staying busy all day long kept me from getting too homesick. It was definitely one of the most memorable Thanksgivings to date and I feel like this year had presented so many things to be thankful for.
Some of the things I am thankful for:
My friends and family back home
My friends who have become my family here in Geneva
All the opportunities the past 6 months have presented me with--Namibia, European adventures, internships, etc.
Being able to stay healthy and active
All the new relationships I have fostered at school and all the relationships from home I have maintained
The love and support from all those currently surrounding me in my life.
It is so hard to imagine everything is wrapping up in 2 weeks time. This semester is definitely something to be included in the "things I am thankful for..." what a life changing and memorable experience this has all been. So much to be thankful for this year and I am glad to have had the opportunity to begin to reflect on all those things :)
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