ThankFULL

If you've ever spent a holiday, any holiday, away from your loved ones, you'll understand this post quite well. As if I wasn't homesick enough, I knew that Thanksgiving was bound to come, which meant the rush of Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat posts that would flood my feed and make me miss home even more. There is something about seeing all your friends come back home from school, and your family all in one place that will cause you to feel ever so sad- well duh. At the same time, it has allowed me to reflect on what I have sitting right infront of me. Sure, it's not my friends from elementary school, or my family, but what I have is just as great- adventure, culture, and a new second home.

Annecy was a great way for us to occupy the beginning of the holiday weekend, but as Sunday came I felt as if I was missing out on something at home. I had just gotten off Facebook video chat with the family (where I met the new fur-baby Millie, eek!) and it is then that I really began to miss being home for the holidays. The key to avoiding this feeling is preoccupying yourself with everything right in front of you that life has to offer.  So naturally, I turned to my Canadian counter-parts to see what they were up to for the "holiday" (unfortunately not a vrai holiday in France). After some discussion we decided we would head out for dinner that night. We had originally decided that we would do a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal, but with 4 out 5 of us living without an oven, that idea quickly faded.

Alas, Sunday night we found ourselves seated at a local restaurant in town, "La Ferme à Dédé"- a restaurant of traditional French cuisine of this region (dauphinois et savoyard). Although it wasn't mum's homemade stuffing and mashed sweet potatoes, it definitely filled the void of missing home.

Wasn't quite quick enough to snap a pic before the crew dug in!

Thanksgiving dinner abroad is one of the highlights of this experience so far. It seems trivial that a simple dinner could triumph over some the adventures I've already had, but in fact, it does. I cannot remember the last time I genuinely laughed this hard (because laughing at my own jokes doesn't count) and both the company and conversation that night were on point (not to mention the food). Only down side is that I think I may have given myself some slight adult-onset lactose intolerance due to all of the cheese that I've consumed this weekend...and for anyone who knows me well, will know that giving up cheese for the next little while to sort things out will not be easy..

And with that, I conclude this post with saying that my first holiday abroad turned out eh-okay (A-OK, i know). Along with allowing me to spend quality time with my Canadians, and stuffing my face with my favourite food group (cheese, of course), it has allowed me to reflect on everything I'm thankful for (ya, I just got serious here). I am thankful for every one of my friends and family back home who continue to support me everyday, who take my rants on a daily basis, and who never fail to send me positive energy. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to experience the world outside of my own, and ultimately that I decided to take the leap of faith.