It’s that time of the year again with Thanksgiving a week away and the holidays just around the corner. It’s hard not being home this time of year, but that’s a reality for a lot of people. This will be my third Thanksgiving away from home. I’m grateful to have a family who loves me. Every year, I’m reminded of the open arms I have waiting for me everywhere I turn: back home in Chicago, extended family in Portland, friends who invite me to come to their homes for the holidays, and now I go to a college that hosts a Thanksgiving meal for students and faculty who aren’t able or choose to stay on campus for the holidays.
It’s true that “there’s no place like home for the holidays,” but home for the holidays might not be for everyone. Two years ago I was in the middle of my gap year thousands of miles away in Cusco, Peru, where no one but me and my roommates celebrated Thanksgiving. The first year I didn’t have turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, made me realize that I don’t even like turkey that much!
I’d be lying if I said that it was easy being away from home, because it’s not. Of course I miss dancing and cooking dinner with my loud family and going around the table from youngest to oldest saying what everyone’s thankful for. Family traditions are “home” for me, but I found that same wholesome feeling of “home” in a Peruvian pizza restaurant with my best friends watching football on a tiny phone screen, sharing our thanksgiving traditions or lack thereof. When we went around the table to say what we were thankful for, everyone said they were thankful for each other. That’s the first time I felt home away from home, and that’s all that mattered.
Last year was my freshman year in college. I found that during this time of year, a lot of people talk about their families. Holiday season is an exciting time for many; they go home soon, get to see their friends and loved ones and play with their dog, but for a lot of people, the holiday season is a sensitive time. We don’t take enough consideration for the people who can’t afford to go home for the holidays, those who don’t have family nearby to celebrate with, or those who don’t go home because they may not have a good relationship with their family. I’m lucky to have all those things, but I also try to be aware that during a time when celebration is called for, it may not be a celebration for everyone. That’s why it’s important to let people know that you love them and that you care for them, even if they are a new friend you just made or someone you don’t see everyday. Everyone is missing something, and if you can be one to put a smile on a stranger’s face, be their “home,” even for a split second — be it.
This is my second year in college, and sitting here writing this to you all, I’m smiling as I think about the memories I have growing up amidst the Hansen holiday festivities. Sure, it makes me sad to know that I won’t have the same dinner, at the same table with the same people every year, and the foods I won’t get to eat, (like my Grandma’s famous thanksgiving jello), but that’s life. It’s more than what’s on the table, it’s who’s around it. Staying out west is a choice I’ve had to make coming into adulthood, but that choice to trade in the big loud family and this year’s share of sappy traditions for a cozy holiday in the Pacific Northwest, is a privilege of mine that a lot of people don’t get.
Being away at college this time of year hits a soft spot for just about every person. You’re practically reminded of your family every day, and let me just say, the christmas decorations in stores and holiday lights on the trees don’t help! For me, I’ve started a new tradition of going to my aunt and uncle’s house for Thanksgiving. This will be my third year celebrating Thanksgiving with new friends, a tradition that I love more than having turkey on the table! It’s also a time when I reflect on the things that I am grateful for, and yes, family is the first one.
Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks. Thanks for the opportunity to go home, thanks for the friends who you may call family, thanks for another trip around the sun. Maybe you’ll see your family, maybe you’ll tuck into your room with a Friends marathon. However you choose to celebrate, take a moment to think about the things in your life that you’re grateful for, and for every person who comes to mind–thank them for being a part of your life.
There’s always something to be thankful for, what are you thankful for this year?