Today is my favorite day of the entire year: Thanksgiving, a holiday dedicated to turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. But beyond the delicious feast that is associated with this day, it is important to express gratitude. In our busy lives, it is so easy to forget to acknowledge the people who matter to us, oftentimes we take them for granted. It’s always nice to remind the special people in your life that they mean a lot to you… chances are you don’t say it enough.
So first and foremost, thank you, mom and dad. It’s hard to express the impact you’ve had on me. Besides giving me life itself, you’ve consistently provided me with love, support, and opportunities. You push me to be the best version of myself, and when I mess up, you’re always there to help me in any way you can. These past few months have been so weird (in the best way possible). I’m not living under your roof. In fact, I’m not even living in the same country as you. I’ve missed home-cooked meals (by someone other than me who actually knows how to cook), I’ve missed top-down car rides with insightful discussions about politics and current events, I’ve missed snuggling with Cooper (my dog), and I’ve missed sister car rides (pretty soon I won’t be the one driving..so crazy!). For all of these reasons and so many more, I am grateful.
To my built-in best friend aka my sister: you make my heart happy. Again, I’m at a loss for words. The past few years I’ve watched you grow from someone who was unsure about her goals, into someone who is driven, hard-working, passionate, and does it all in a cute outfit with an outstanding sense of humor. I am proud and impressed, to say the least. I am grateful for the close relationship we’ve built over the past few years. I love you endless amounts and I absolutely cannot wait to squeeze you when I get home.
To my friends: you’ve been there through it all, the good, the bad, everything. Spending the past few months without you has been tough. But I also wouldn’t trade our 3 am FaceTime calls for anything! When I get a text from one of you, it brightens my day. Watching each of you with your college friends has been weird. And I really hope they know how lucky they are to know you… I miss all the good times… 11 days till we’re back!
To my family: the love our family shares is infectious and I’m so lucky to have such good relationships with all of you. On this day we’re usually all together at my house. My mom cooks for 40ish people and truly outdoes herself every year (you’re the best, mom!), and we eat, talk, laugh, and have such a good time. I’m missing that more than anything… especially as I sit in class!
I am a lucky girl who has so much to be grateful for and today as I went through my typical school day in Berlin, I was distracted with Thanksgiving nostalgia and homesickness. However, I was simultaneously feeling really grateful to be in Berlin and to have had this incredible, life-changing experience. To those who believed in me when I was having doubts about living abroad, thank you. I’ve learned so much over the past three and a half months. I’ve gained insight about the world around me and also about myself. This experience has been amazing and I’m very sad to be leaving (although I also can’t wait to come home).
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
