Happy Thanksgiving

I know it's a little late, but I just wanted to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving! I also would like to write a little about my pilgrim-style Thanksgiving experience here.

So, there were 3 main options for big American-style (what other style there is, I don't know) Thanksgiving celebrations here in Senegal; the Peace Corps regional houses in the North and in Kedougou were both were planning big dinners, or we were all also invited to dinner at the Ambassador's in Dakar. I was planning on going to the one closest to me in Kedougou, but the day before just didn't really feel like making the journey and honestly just felt indifferent about the whole Thanksgiving celebration here. My friends Josh and Tracy also felt the same way, so
we decided to stay here and cook our own Thanksgiving dinner.

The cooking was interesting; we didn't have much to work with as far as making "traditional" Thanksgiving dishes with ingredients from the market. Also, Tracy and Josh are both vegetarians, and I'm not a pilgrim, we didn't have a turkey. I lack the know-how and desire to go through the process of "live turkey in the market" to "Thanksgiving feast turkey on the table." Those skills are required here just as much as they were for that first Thanksgiving, and I'd rather just go without.

The celebration of Thanksgiving is not just about eating good food, though. It's also about giving thanks and being with people you care about. With that in mind, we decided to invite some guests to our celebration: Sara, a woman who is doing research for a Fulbright here and her husband, our favorite guard El Hajj, and two other Senegalese men, Pap and Ibrahaima, who are not only great friends but also very helpful to Tamba volunteers in a variety of ways.

I've never really done much of the "lets all say what we are thankful for" in past Thanksgivings, but this year I was all about it. I began the giving of thanks by saying how thankful I was to be surrounded by so many great friends: thankful to be in the same region as Tracy and Josh, thankful to learn about and be able to help Sara's Fulbright research, and especially thankful for the special relationships I have formed with the Senegalese people we invited.

I then went on to say that I'm thankful for this entire Peace Corps experience- the highs and the lows- and for the personal growth phase I am going through right now. I'm thankful for friends and family that haven't forgot about me and make sure that I know it. I'm thankful for so very much, I could go on and on, which is also something to be thankful for. Eventually I stopped being sentimental and let everyone else have their turn, and it was just such a touching experience to go around the table and hear what everyone was thankful for. Spanning nationality, religion, and culture, and so much more, there were general things that we all gave thanks for- the families we were born in to and the families we have made, health, food on the table and love in our hearts.

This was my first Thanksgiving away from home, and I expected it to be hard for me, but having dinner with so many interesting, dynamic people from such different backgrounds really felt like the true spirit of Thanksgiving to me. What I want to say is that this Thanksgiving was the first time that I have seriously thought about how much I have to be thankful for. It's taken me almost 9 months, but I am finally becoming energized and engaged and comfortable here. What I've learned recently is that the frustrations, disappointments and heartaches I experience here will eventually be made up for by the fascinations, euphoria's, and revelations. I'm in the fascinations, euphoria's, and revelations stage right now and couldn't be happier.

Much love to all of you, and Happy Thanksgiving!