A Thankful Expat

As the end of November slowly creeps up on me in my little bubble in Sevilla, Facebook and all other social medias remind me that Thanksgiving is upon the US. If I try hard, I can smell turkey baking already and picture my mom cooking, Dad watching football, Zeke and Olivia staring at some screen and sneaking marshmallows from the sweet yams.

Even though I will be absent this year, the typical Thanksgiving meal will still be taking place over 5,000 miles away. This is the first of a series of holidays I’m missing this year abroad and definitely not the hardest emotionally to miss. And while I wish so much to be surrounded with my loved ones on the West Coast, the world is not going to end.

Although Spain doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving (duh), my program set up a Thanksgiving lunch at a restaurant where the head chef is American, or something along those lines. Classes were cut short and there was free food. Which means I got my typical Thanksgiving meal of turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes.  While the food was good, it didn’t taste like home and somehow made me miss home even more. 

And while I am so far from my family and missing them like crazy today, I am oh so thankful on this Thanksgiving for all that I have. I am thankful for my Mom, my Dad, my sister, my brother, my Grandmothers, my aunts, my uncles and everyone who supports me through thick and thin. I am thankful that I have these people with my every day in my heart to cheer me on through my daily victories and console me after defeats. I am thankful for my college for providing me this opportunity to study abroad in a beautiful country. I am thankful for the ability to travel around Europe. I am thankful for the lifelong friends and soul sisters that I have and those whom I will come to meet. I’m thankful to have a life full of good health, wonder, education, excitement, heartbreak and love. I am thankful for challenges, unexpected things, happiness and sorrow. I am thankful to live in a world where strong coffee, savory Iberian jam and warm delicious bread can all be enjoyed in the same meal.

Happy Thanksgiving,

All my love XOXO