Thursday 26th November 2015

AKA Thanksgiving

Though you would never guess that since today was just another day of class for me. Today I'm experiencing one of those rare moments where I really feel my American-ness while abroad. It's more than just feeling like a foreigner or out of place because Thanksgiving is such a uniquely American holiday.

Right now, I would normally be watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV, followed by the dog show (one of my favorite holiday programs), but instead I'm writing this post while I wait for my seminar to start. It's just an all-around strange feeling, like it's something that doesn't exist it's such a non-event. I mean, objectively I knew this was how it would be, but it's just a little surreal to be like "Guys! It's Thanksgiving! Really? No one?" in my head all day, while everyone around me is just going around living their lives. It's weird to be going around, sitting in class, discussing readings and historical events when the whole time I really just want to be lying on my couch watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

I've been feeling a little blue about the whole thing for the past week, so yesterday I decided to go out and treat myself to a little shopping as a way to cheer myself up. I figured, if I'm not going home, if I don't even get the day off, then I can at least wear a new dress! That feels like a totally valid thing to do, right? Although the dress did keep me feeling a little more upbeat today, I'm still a little down an out today, it just can't be helped I suppose.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of bummed out about the food (it's always the food with me though). I feel a little like Peppermint Patty felt when seeing that Charlie Brown had cooked up some toast, popcorn, pretzels, and jellybeans for dinner to be honest, except I'm the one who has to procure the food. Normally we have a true feast, with deep fried turkey, and green bean casserole with the crispy onions on top, and two kinds of stuffing, and candied sweet potatoes, and those weird jellied cranberry pucks (you know the ones I'm talking about American friends, that stuff that comes out of the tin can and stays that shape), and an assortment of delicious pies. Here, I have a choice between another bowl of reheated pasta, the same one that I've been eating for the past several days and that I will continue to eat for the next week or so, or mediocre take out from some place on the walk back to my dorm, which includes knock-off McDonald's and a sub-par Chinese take out place that seems to be run by a whole bunch of non-Chinese people.

I mean, I know this is a one time thing for now, that I'll be back celebrating Thanksgiving next year, I think I just hadn't fully prepared myself for how very, very strange it would be to have to be outside the US on Thanksgiving. Guess it's just making me a little homesick for turkey and sweet potatoes and all things sweet and pumpkin flavored. Ah well, I'll make a go of knock-off McDonald's!