Thanksgiving Dinner in Mexico (Day 75)

11/27

Tonight, we had a nice dinner at Casa Crespo with Dra. Adela and Sandra. Although everyone was freezing, we laughed and chatted, munched many foods, huddled around the fire, and shared one of our last nights together.

Usually in the States, Thanksgiving dinner is just an excuse to eat out at a Chinese restaurant with my family. But today I appreciate this day. I take many things in my life for granted, but after nearly 11 weeks away from home in a foreign country, I have realized what I couldn’t live without.

First and foremost, my family. I’ve always been very independent, never really “needing” my family. But with each passing year, I find myself getting more and more attached to my family. I’ve called all my family members at least twice throughout the duration of this program, and my mom about twice a week, sometimes even every other day. Perhaps it’s a part of maturing. Perhaps it is the awareness that not everyone will be around forever. Being so far away for so long, the first thing I want to do when I get back to the U.S. is run to my family and hug everyone of them. I can’t wait to see their smiles!

I have also realized how much I need people around. Childhood friends like Claire and Cynthia. How lonely I would have been in high school without my friends. Marian. Joanne. Melanie. Alex. Erin. Xiangbin. I’m thankful that I’m still friends with these wonderful people. They have shaped me in so many way, my interests, my personality, my behaviors.

Also, these past 11 weeks would not have been the same without my classmates, my friends, the people who I now call family. Every smile, every laugh, every tear I have shed with them has been etched in my heart. Every “eso”. Every “por fa”. Every “contact”. Every “blblblbl”. Everytime someone yells out “fairy!”. Memories flood my mind when I think of them, tugging at my heart strings. I have opened up to this group of people more than I have to any other. We’ve shared our past, our secrets, our hopes with each other.

I can’t say I’ve had a perfect life; I’ve seen many tragedies, jumped through many personal hurdles and the many obstacles that life sets up. But I’m grateful for so much more: the privilege of growing up in the U.S., the advantage of growing up with a multicultural background, access to quality education, my family’s support, heaters, nutella, friends I would take a bullet for, a boundless future.