Just a few days ago, America celebrated another wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. For me this year, though, I was in a foreign country during the yearly celebration. Luckily enough, my mother was able to come and celebrate the holiday with me and the wonderful housemates I have here in Cambridge, England. She and I, alongside my other American housemate Ethan who is from New York were able to bring a little Thanksgiving tradition to those living in my house from Europe.

After making all of the usual Thanksgiving goodies for dinner and dessert, we sat down to indulge in the feast. As we were eating, we went around the circle and decided to share what we were thankful for this year. I was extremely moved by the answers that my housemates and our friends provided as we dined on turkey and mashed potatoes and a bit too many sweets.

I began to think about all of their answers these few days following the holiday, and I just continue to remember how thankful I am that I have met so many amazing people during my time abroad. Mainly, though, I was thankful for my ability to share some of my American traditions.

I have learned so much from the wonderful people I have met here in England and I have grown as a person in more ways than I can count. But they continue to surprise me each day with their humor, outlook on life, and passion for their lives. I was happy to give them a look into my world as an American and the different traditions we have. To see their happy faces and hear the funny stories we were sharing reminded me so much of the Thanksgivings I share at home with my wonderful family.

Although I greatly missed my family this year, it was so nice being able to show my European friends what American traditions there are and how we seek to give thanks each year for the fortunate lives we lead. And it was even better having my mother here to help with the dinner and to bring even more holiday cheer to our feast. Each person at the table genuinely shared what things they are thankful for this year and what they are thankful for in their daily lives. I believe it gave everyone the opportunity to think about what matters to them, as we typically do not do that during our daily lives.

This is the reason Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. We are able to take time to think about the wonderful things we have been given and for the family and friends that surround us. In our American lives, we go so fast and don't take time regularly to think about the good aspects of our life as we are swept away by the obligations and struggles that we face. Thanksgiving gives us the chance to take time and reflect about what truly matters.

Being able to share my favorite holiday with some of my favorite people has been such a blessing. We as a house are blessed to have met one another, and it has truly been a rollercoaster with these crazy homies. Thanksgiving gave us the chance to share what matters to us while coming together to eat, drink, and be merry. It was truly a successful Thanksgiving abroad.