Thanksgiving: the one day a year we get an excuse to gorge to our hearts' content on a colossal spread of juicy turkey, buttery mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. You'd think that after living off of bland, subpar college dining hall food for the past two and a half months, just the thought of a home-cooked thanksgiving feast would make my mouth water in anticipation. I mean, even when I still had home-cooked meals I used to look forward to that turkey for weeks in advance. But now that I'm a college student, the holiday means so much more than just eating good food, and I have never been so thankful for Thanksgiving break as I am this year.
The great thing about Thanksgiving at my house is that I get to share a meal with all of the most important people in my life at the same time. We always have around 40 people over, including grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins, and friends. Usually, I get annoyed by relatives who always ask me the same questions and say things like, "Look how much you've grown up since I last saw you!" But being so far away from home has given me a newfound appreciation for them, and I would almost say that I'm looking forward to answering the same questions about my life in college over and over again.
Considering how most of Lehigh's students are from the East Coast, the majority of my friends have been home at least one time since school started. Being from Arizona, approximately 2,070 miles away from Lehigh, I am lucky to even have the opportunity to go home for Thanksgiving break.
I can't believe how many little things that are a part of my everyday life at home now seem like a luxury to me, like sleeping in my own bed, not sharing a bathroom with 22 other girls, and having a room that isn't the size of a shoe box. And can we talk about personal space? Don't get me wrong, being constantly surrounded by friends is nice, but it's nice to get a break from it every once in a while. College is a time for social exploration, which is a wonderful thing, but it makes you all the more thankful for your family and your old friends from home.
Being a freshman in college, I knew I was destined to get the "freshman plague". You are bound to get sick when you move to an unfamiliar place and surround yourself with people from other unfamiliar places. But I was not prepared to be sick more often than healthy during my first semester. And when I had to walk to the doctor with a fever when it was 30º out and pouring rain, I realized how appreciative I was of all the times my parents took care of me while I was sick, and how badly I wished they could be there then. Regardless of being sick, there is just a certain comfort that you can only find at home with your family. I realize now more than ever how thankful I am for my family, and I can't wait to go home and spend this holiday with them.
I don't know about you, but I've got my Thanksgiving break all planned out in order to maximize my time at home. I'd love to catch up on sleep, but on Wednesday morning I'm getting up bright and early to hike Camelback Mountain, which is known for its incredible views. The scenery around Lehigh is beautiful, but I have been longing to see the desert landscape again. I know that I will be feeling particularly thankful for it's beauty this time.
The rest of my break will be spent helping my family prepare for Thanksgiving, Black Friday shopping with my best friends from high school, hitting up my favorite restaurants (I already sent my mom a list of them), and spending time with my parents, brother, and, of course, my cats.
This Thanksgiving, I am feeling particularly thankful, because I have never been so in need of my home. I am thankful for all the quirks of my hometown that I am missing more than ever. I am thankful for the beauty of my state and its ability to make me appreciate it more and more every time I see it. And I am immensely thankful to have family and friends who make it so hard for me to leave, but give me something to look forward to every day until I come back.
