By now I think we all have gotten
that Facebook notification that reads, “you have memories with (insert name
here).” If you’re like me, and love venturing down memory lane, then you have
it set up so you receive these notifications every day. Although I have been
tempted to change that whenever I bitterly view posts of my travels throughout
Spain or “my” bakery I used to casually stop by every morning before work. Well, this past week while I was spending
Thanksgiving with family when I received that daily FB notification. Yet the
posts that it shared struck a chord.
You see
although I have spent a lot of my life traveling, I am extremely close to my
family, and like a lot of families we have certain holidays that we always
spend together. Thanksgiving is definitely one of those holidays. So when I
moved to Spain, fall 2014, I was going to spend my first Thanksgiving away from
home.
I was prepared to be homesick as November rolled around, but I was not
prepared for the love and kindness I was going to receive. One of the most
beautiful characteristics about travel and cultural exchanges is the
overwhelming desire to comfort welcome people from a multitude of backgrounds.
I can truly say that I experienced genuine love, compassion, and friendship
that year.
On a
lighter note, I must say Friendsgiving is the best creation ever! Seriously!
Who doesn’t want to have multiple celebrations with great food and even better company?
That fall I took part in three Friendsgiving events, each one characterized by
its own unique menu and guest list.
There was the Irish Scottish US dinner, which consisted of various
national dishes including haggis, and a traditional full size turkey, not the
easiest thing to find in Spain. (If you don’t already know what haggis head on
over to google. It is quite interesting.) We spent the evening sitting around
the table chatting about our cultures and lives at home and in Spain for hours.
Wrapping it all up with some traditional songs from the UK and Ireland.
The
second Friendsgiving was held just outside of Madrid. It was just us girls,
from the UK and the US. This time we went for the easier option of two small
chickens instead of a turkey, but other than that it was quite a traditional
Thanksgiving meal. My contribution you ask? Well I stopped by the Taste of
America shop and bought the most important side for thanksgiving, canned
cranberry sauce. Both of these meals not only distracted me from the fact that
I was away from family, but they reminded me just how much I appreciate diverse
friendships.
The
final Friendsgiving, which wasn’t typical, was the one with my students.
Although we couldn’t have an official meal I count the classes discussing the
holiday with them as a celebration itself. I even had a couple of them attempt
to cook a turkey on their own time. Lesson one of Thanksgiving abroad:
realizing you know nothing about cooking a Thanksgiving meal, so you improvise.
Thank you www.marthastewart.com!
Second lesson of Thanksgiving abroad: the
Rocketts are a really weird concept. That is my favorite memory about living
abroad though. I didn’t just learn more about the Spanish culture, I in fact
learned a great deal more about my own culture. So although I always enjoy
Thanksgiving with family I will always miss my “family” in Spain and our pretty
fantastic Friendsgiving celebrations.Antoinette Longcrier, Graduate Assistant and honorary Madrileña
Don't miss out on making your own Friendsgiving memories!
Use our search to look for programs in Spain and over 40 other countries: http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
Use our search to look for programs in Spain and over 40 other countries: http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
For more information about the Fulbright Grant Opportunities like the one Annie did, visit http://eca.state.gov/fulbright/fulbright-programs
