Friends who became family

For the first time ever, I spent Thanksgiving away from my family. On Thanksgiving day, I had eight hours of class followed by a typical Senegalese meal (french fries, fried fish, and onion sauce) instead of a day full of cooking and turkey. To compensate for this, over thirty students came together on Friday for a potluck Thanksgiving meal full of traditional foods, such as pie and sweet potatoes and green beans and stuffing. Together we had a feast, celebrating our flexibility in preparation (for example, instead of stoves, we have large Bunsen burner apparatus, etc.), a delicious American style meal, and good company.

Thanksgiving is a holiday about family and sitting in this room, I realized that over the course of the semester, these other students have been transformed from strangers into CIEE family. As we went around the room sharing what we're thankful for, I was overwhelmed by how fortunate I am to share this day with people I love. And this year, I have so much to be thankful for - the opportunity to come to Senegal (and India next semester), the ability to appreciate this experience while it's happening, my friends and family here and in the US, my health and the health of everyone around me, and all the beauty and wonder in the world that I've been able to observe.

After over three months in Senegal, I've come to realize how fortunate I am to be American, to have my socioeconomic status, to own a passport, to be able to drive, to go to Johns Hopkins, to go to university at all... So often, we get caught up in the daily grind that we forget to step back, take a deep breath, and be mindful.

Thanksgiving was magical this year and reminded me to enjoy being.