Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

I was told once that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the day of the year (in America, of course) when the most alcohol is consumed. I’m not really sure of the reason, I guess most people are home from college and the group out at the bars is probably not the group of people who have to cook Thanksgiving dinner the next day. Either way, I totally believe it. I know I’ve been out the last few years on the night before Thanksgiving, and it turns out most of the group celebrates this evening as well. We made sure to have a pre-Thanksgiving celebration, that we called “Pre-Thanksgiving,” here in Uganda. After dinner last night, we had different games going on throughout the night. We made sure to stock up when we were in Kampala and there was also a fridge stocked of beer, so we were good to go. At one point there was a huge game of Kings/Circle of Death (whatever you want to call it) going on and it was such a blast. A group of us ended up staying up pretty late just chatting and getting to know each other better. Sounds corny, but I loved it. Some stories were inspiring, others hilarious. On the way back to the room, I just stopped and looked up. I probably stood there looking at the sky for five minutes. The number of stars you can see here is insane. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Growing up near steel mills and a big city, I was never able to really see the stars. I was shocked when I went to college in South Carolina about how I could see them so much better. Even after four years there I still thought it was the most beautiful thing in the world. South Carolina, though, can’t even compare to Uganda. The stars are brighter than I’ve ever seen – to me, it’s absolutely gorgeous. I don’t know why I’m so obsessed with stars and think that the night sky is so beautiful, but I do, so I think I’ve found the perfect place.

We spent Thanksgiving at Peace Corps headquarters in Kampala with our group, our volunteer trainers, other current volunteers, and staff. Headquarters is fairly big and has a beautiful view. Taylor and I took a quick trip into Kampala with a few others because I needed to get an internet modem before I didn’t have another chance. By the time we got back it was almost lunch time! Our Thanksgiving meal was delicious. There was so much food! Chicken, corn, stuffing, salad, pie – everything! It wasn’t Thanksgiving in America, I did miss me some turkey, but it was still just as good, surrounded by great company.  Unfortunately we didn’t get to watch any football, but we played some volleyball and took advantage of fast and free wifi, then headed back!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. You get to spend time with your family and friends but you don’t have to stress about the perfect present for each person. You get to sit around and drink and talk and watch football. And the food. The food is the best part. You get to stuff your face with delicious food without any judgment. In college I only ever missed one Thanksgiving with my family. Every post Thanksgiving weekend Clemson plays the University of South Carolina in football, our biggest rival game of the season. Since I hate flying, I never wanted to fly home on Wednesday only to fly back on Friday. But come my senior year, the game was being played at Clemson, in Death Valley, and I knew I had to be there for it, especially since it was a night game. I stayed in town and went with my little to Lake City, South Carolina to celebrate Thanksgiving with her family. When I decided not to go home, I get anxious changing traditions, so I was afraid I would be really sad and miss my family on my favorite holiday. And yes, of course I missed them, but it was with her that I realized sometimes traditions change, and that’s ok, all that matters is you’re surrounded by those you love. So when it came time for my first of three Thanksgivings in Uganda, I knew it might be hard at first, but since I got to be with all my fellow volunteers, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.