Abroad in Baltimore #12
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Sweet, sweet relief, a taste of winter break but with turkey and a side of mashed potatoes! It’s questionable origins aside, Thanksgiving represents a coming together that starts with family bonding and usually ends with too much pumpkin pie. A truly American holiday.
While in years past I’ve not been able to properly celebrate Thanksgiving, as France doesn’t exactly recognize this pilgrim holiday, this year I can rest assured to get the full Fall experience. As an added bonus, MICA gives its students a pre-finals respite in the form of three full days off! I bet you’re thinking Thanksgiving doesn’t sound too bad now.
How will I spend my three days of freedom, well I’m glad you asked. Three days of vacation compounded with the weekend gives me a full week of no classes to indulge in. Notice I didn’t say no homework. So while we sit by the fire and enjoy our meal, you can bet I’ll still be in the corner scribbling out a final paper or catching up on some anatomy homework.
In terms of relaxation, I will be taking this most thankful of times to enjoy some of my favorite Thanksgiving themed TV episodes. Friends, Gossip Girl, Brooklyn 99, the Thanksgiving canon is plentiful. I highly recommend dipping into these if you get a chance between courses, I know I will.
Another good thing about the holidays is that many of my hometown high school friends will be coming home to roost. Making sure to keep in touch with friends from back home has really been important to me during this school year. I’m more used to being an ocean away, so having the chance to catch up with some friends I haven’t seen in a while has really made this holiday season a bit more special.
I don’t want to keep harking back to this, but with each passing class I’m reminded by the fact that we’re nearing the end of things. I will be the first to say that I’ve been challenged in more than one way this semester, but it’s given me exactly what I need to face the challenge of the next.
In Thanksgiving tradition, we usually share one thing we’re grateful for and this year I couldn’t be more grateful for this study abroad experience. I’ve made a ton of memories this semester and am looking forward to a few more before the year ends.
This will be the final break before the finals craze sets in, so be sure to soak up as much spare time as you can muster. Just remember, only three weeks till Winter break!