For most of us here at Temple Rome, this Thanksgiving holiday was our first away from home. For some of us, we couldn’t be more thankful, but for most of us, we might have been feeling a bit home sick for the holiday. Fortunately, in the past three months we’ve formed a new big family, so we didn’t have to spend this Thanksgiving alone.
The same group of students who held our little Halloween bash back in October hosted a Temple Rome Thanksgiving dinner party at the Residence Medaglie d’oro where most of the Temple students live. Dinner was at 8, and anyone who wanted to come just had to bring some type of dish.
Our hosts did their best to decorate the room and make it fesitve for the holiday. Like Halloween, we retreated to acting like a bunch of children and each of us made a silly hand turkey. We talked a lot about what we typically do with our families each year for thanksgiving, and we all wished we’d thought to bring a football so we could put a quick game of two hand touch together.
Thanksgiving dinner was kind of last minute for all of us since most everyone was traveling for the long weekend, so a turkey was out of the question. Instead we had a huge spread of chicken, sausage, pasta, salad, vegetables, fruit, bread, dessert, and tons of other random dishes. Of course there was plenty of wine to go around, and though it was mentioned a few times that it definitely wasn’t the Thanksgiving dinner we’re all used to, we all agreed that celebrating Thanksgiving as a Temple Rome family was still just as wonderful.
We probably had about 20 people show up for dinner, and we really did have some wonderful food. Before dinner, we all went around the room and talked about what we were thankful for. Most everyone talked about how thankful we were just to be together since we couldn’t be home for the holiday.
Listening to everyone go around and talk about how thankful they are just to have one another was really just bittersweet for me. We have only a few weeks left in this semester, and it is really quite amazing how many true and lasting friendships have been formed in the past few months. This is an experience that we were all able to share together, and one that can never really be repeated. We’re really a part of something special, something that most people in their lifetime never have the chance to do. So for that, we are all very thankful, and it showed as we celebrated the eve of Thanksgiving together.
At this point in our semester abroad, I think some of us are ready to go home. With classes ending and finals coming up, and the holiday season in full swing, everyone seems excited to get home to the fam. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited to see my family and friends and pets and spend the holiday at home, but I’m kicking myself for not choosing to spend an entire year abroad. If I had it my way, I’d go home for a week or two for the holiday’s and hop a flight right back here for another semester to do this all over again.
I have to say I am extremely thankful for Temple University and the most amazing study abroad program. This has been quite possibly the best three and a half months of my entire life. I’m just glad there’s still a couple weeks left! You can bet I’ll be taking full advantage of the remainder of my semester here in Rome.
And with that, I am off to Piazza Navona to check out the Christmas tree and Christmas village shopping they’ve set up for the holiday.
Happy Holiday’s from Roma!