Last night, I entered the electric blue kitchen carrying a hot pan of chocolate chip pumpkin bars, which still could have used an extra five minutes in the oven. As I scanned the small kitchen, my heart thumped a bit harder and happier at the sight of some of my favorite faces.
It was my first Friendsgiving experience, hosted by seven of my closest guy friends that live in the brick house next to Greenberries—the Jolt, as it’s called.
For those of you who may be a step behind the lingo, Friendsgiving is Thanksgiving dinner celebrated with—you guessed it—your friends!
Last night I realized I’ve formed enough genuine friendships to fill a cozy living room for a Thanksgiving feast. I could not say the same a year ago.
* * *
Rewind to last fall: I had walked into the backyard of the Jolt for the first time to attend Intervarsity’s Annual Watermelon Bash. It was the week before classes began and my very first week at JMU, which meant I knew no one except a few friends from high school. Strings of twinkling lights hung above the grassy backyard, and my stomach flipped juvenilely as I walked under them toward the crowd of unfamiliar people.
I clung to my high school friend’s hip like a loyal canine, repeating my well rehearsed speech to each person he introduced me to. I recited my name (Ciara), my major (nursing, at the time), my year (sophomore) and the school I had transferred from (Virginia Tech). Every Duke assured me I made the right choice this time.
In between the commotion of handshakes, smiles and names I instantly forgot, I surveyed the sea of foreign faces — hoping that this school would someday feel like home in a way Virginia Tech hadn’t.
* * *
Back to last night: As I set down the pumpkin bars, I watched the Jolt guys put the finishing touches on the platter of turkey they had cooked, carved and arranged. My girlfriends stood in a circle chatting, and I noticed they had fulfilled their side dish and dessert duty well. The counter space was filled with pan after pan of food, carefully hidden under tinfoil to keep warm. The small, circular table in the center of the room was crowded with an array of sweets— apple pie, pumpkin pie, chocolate pie, homemade whipped cream and seven-layer bars.
I peeked into the living room to find it specially arranged for the evening. Two tables of different heights were set with napkins, silverware and a lit candle. Just like the lights had hung over the backyard a little over a year ago, a string of lights were draped over the large Jolt sign on the wall. The guys had even lit a fire in the fireplace, giving the room a cozy, and subtly smoky, vibe.
After we prayed and loaded our plates with home cooked food, we retreated to the living room. Settled around the tables, and between bites of stuffing and sweet potato casserole, we laughed. We swapped stories about high school—from the proms we wish we didn’t attend to the prom dresses we look for an excuse to re-wear. We complimented Lindsey (who unashamedly admits she’s not a chef) on the tasty corn she didn’t just heat, but even “added butter and salt” to. We made plans for more get-togethers in the future.
And in the midst of all the conversations swirling over me, I took a moment to scan the faces around the room—just like I had in the backyard a little over a year ago. But this time, the faces couldn’t have been more familiar.
My first week at JMU, when I had timidly walked under the string of lights and into the crowd of people, I had utterly no idea the way this school and these people would capture my heart.
While scanning the room, I realized that this place and these people—that were once completely unknown to me—have become the very home I was searching for when I ventured off to Virginia Tech my freshman year.
I left my first Friendsgiving with an empty pan, a full stomach and an incredibly grateful heart.