Giving Thanks without Thanksgiving

Well, as you know, today is American Thanksgiving. (Fun fact: Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated the second Monday of October! Hi Canada!) As Thanksgiving is an American holiday, obviously France does not celebrate (many French people don't know what it is). Also, as I am the only American assistant in Narbonne (I've actually not met another American in the city thus far) and I had to work today (and I don't have a kitchen), there will be no Thanksgiving celebration for me this year. As it turns out, this is my sixth Thanksgiving in a row to have either no or little celebration.

2007: Drove five hours from Lubbock to Fort Worth just to have to spend the entire break overwhelmed by school and grad school applications and not have time to go to Thanksgiving

2008: Didn't want to repeat that same fiasco, so spent Thanksgiving in Louisiana writing papers

2009: Same deal, in Louisiana, only with the lovely addition of a Thanksgiving meal spent with my friends Carrie and Carla (and a Love Actually  viewing)

2010: Bronchitis o' doom, stayed in bed

2011: Moving out of the apartment, went to Thanksgiving for about two hours then went back to moving

2012: Francy pants

What is going on here?!

Well, next year I'll be back, giving thanks and eating turkey with the best of 'em (aka my family), and all will be right with the world. As for this year, I taught for two lovely hours today (life's rough) and then went to give a conversation class with a group of 70-something French men and women. (The hostess brought out a cake she made, and when I told them it was Thanksgiving, she said that we would celebrate Thanksgiving by eating the cake, a-dorbs.) 

Despite the fact that I'm not home and celebrating, I thought I'd take a minute to write down a few things that I am especially thankful for this year.

I am thankful for...

-My amazing family and friends at home, who have all been incredibly supportive of my European endeavor this year.

-My solid relationships with these important people, and the confidence I have that they will remain strong despite eight months spent apart.

-My current job, and the fact that I am blessed enough to have had a job each year since I've graduated.

-My career, and how that despite the fact that I know that much work awaits me as I will (hopefully) be starting at a new school next fall, I know that this is what I'm supposed to be doing and I look forward to it.

-My free time during this current year and the opportunity to rest (I know its value well as I've had so little free time the past several years).

-My new friends, who laugh with me, teach me about their cultures, and help me to feel at home despite being 5,000 miles away from Texas.

-My awesome team of English teachers in France who are easy to work with, supportive, helpful, and friendly.

-My tiny white fluffy dog who loves me no matter what and whom I miss a bunch (subthanks to my awesome parents and brother Brandon who are taking great care of her for the year).

-The recently arisen opportunity to give private lessons (which just fell into my lap) which renders me slightly less broke.

-The fact that beautiful things (the opportunity to realize my dream of living in France) can be born from difficult situations (the difficulties I faced during the past year and a half which led me to the decision to go to France). I am actively thankful for this every. single. day.

-This opportunity of a lifetime to live in Europe, get to know another culture, get to meet new people, get to travel to new places, better myself professionally, improve my French language skills, reflect on what I have and what I love about my own culture, to become a stronger person, and to get to know myself better. It is an adventure every single day, and I assure you I am nearly constantly aware of the gift and that I am truly, incredibly thankful.

..........

These are the things that I am thankful for this very different year of my life. Truthfully, it feels a little surreal that it's already Thanksgiving, and that the holiday season can be upon us when I feel so far removed from all that is normal and regular and familiar and home. But it is. So I'll leave you with this, which I've heard from a few French people (students/people at the high school) today, and which I of course find adorable: 

'Appy Zanksgeeveeng!

ps: Eat some turkey for me.

pps: Shout out to my friend Irene (as in my friend from Germany Irene) whose birthday is today! Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!