Thankful Thursday

Thanksgiving in Spain.. who would have thought, few believed and many had doubts. However, we are AMAZING.

My favorite holiday in the world, started off the same as any other day. I had to work. I got up, went to school, got through my day.. (im not a fan of thursdays except for the fact that it is the last day of my work week, i know poor me.. whatever.) Anyhow, all day their were two things I could think of.. the thanksgiving feast and leaving for Italy. ok three.. my family at home without me. I was kind of sad, in a good way.

So after school, I had to run to the junta to finish getting my things in order for my foreigners card... and after that, I was off to start my thanksgiving. We started cooking for thanksgiving at 4:30 i want to say and planned to eat at about 8. So I get to Laura's, the only one of us with an oven, and help chop things. In an oven teeny teeny teeny tiny, we had to bake our stuffing, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, and apple cobbler. We cheated and didnt have turkey.. just not really possible.. so we had roasted chicken. Delicious. Then we made mashed potatoes and carmelized sweet potatoes (thank you Alexis) so soo good. oh and we had cranberry sauce. I was in heaven. Every thing turned out delicious... and on time more or less.

for dinner there were: 5 Americans (me, Alexis, Katy, Laura, and Raquel), 5 Spaniards (Berta, Jose Lu, Juan, Maria, and Rosi) and later came 3 Italians (neighbors of Berta, Laura, and Maria) They were so impressed and had never eaten food like that before. The favorite was the sweet potatoes. We went around the table and said what we were thankful for, said a prayer or two, and ate like it was our jobs. We told the story of the first thanksgiving and just basked in the wonderfulness that thanksgiving brings about. Seriously, every thanksgiving, I am just mesmerized by all that I have been blessed with and I try to really take it all in and thoroughly enjoy every moment and all of the company. Too often, we take for granted all of those in our lives and all that we have been given or have the opportunity to do. I don´t want that.. I want to really treasure and cherish all that I am so blessed to know and to have. My favorite thing is just to spend time, laugh, share stories, and be with people for whom I care.... Bring on Christmas, so I can do the same with my family!

The holiday season is in full swing here. The chestnuts are roasting in the streets, shoppers with their bags are lining the cobblestone, the Christmas lights are hanging from the rooftops, and the three wisemen line the wall in the metro station. The only thing missing is snow... well ok, and a christmas tree, cookies, and decorations in our piso.. but i think that isnt going to happen this year.... next year for sure.

21 days until I come home... but a very busy 21 days. I am off to the UK this weekend, perhaps madrid the next, and finally meeting with a wonderful friend from home in Amsterdam before heading back to the states. :):) I am loving and living the traveling life at the moment.


besos, besos, besos... and some christmas cheer.