Thanksgiving and three weeks

This year was the first time I was away from home for Thanksgiving. Now, it is three weeks until I go home... all of this is still sinking in.

I knew that Thanksgiving was coming up but it did not feel like Thanksgiving at all. All of my American friends were exciting and preparing big dinners for friends, but for me, Thanksgiving isn't real unless I am with my family. It is one of my favorite holidays because all my life my family has made a big deal out of it. We always went out to mama and papa's (grandparents) house and cooked turkey and all kinds of stuff that I never really liked. I think one of the funniest things for me, looking back, is that I was so picky about what I ate that my family had to make more food just so that I would eat something. Now, that is not a problem, I will eat just about anything. However, since they added in all the different foods, they are now a staple. I missed them this year. The turkey and ham that I never used to like, the maccaroni and cheese that i have always loved, rice, green beans, etc. Oh and the desserts... I missed that a lot. We always cook enough food for an army and the dessert table was usually just as large as the dinner table.

My Thanksgiving this year consisted of me going to Bologna (the best city in the world) and spending time with a couple of friends. It was a good time, walking around the city, eating pizza. It was not the same, though. I know next year I will really appreciate the holiday with my family more than I ever have. Missing Thanksgiving, this year, was one of the first times I was really homesick. I also missed another big SC holiday recently... the Clemson v. Carolina football game. Wow... what a bummer with how that one turned out! It was so nice to get a phone call from my family and talk to a few of them while the game was going on. When they told me how badly the game was going and how my brother was acting, I could see him in my mind pacing back and forth, growling, and clenching his fists. Although I did NOT want my team to lose... it was a good, familiar thought to have about him. Every year, for a while now, I have watched the game with my brother, sister-in-law, and their friends. I really missed that this year.

In three weeks I will be heading home. Wow. This semester is flying by. All of my friends go home in two weeks, so I will have one week here to just work on music. I think that week is going to be a long one, I will be ready to home by then. Christmas is coming up and I really want to see all of my mom and grandma's Christmas decorations. I now have to decide what songs I am going to sing for my family for Christmas and finish up the shopping. Wow... time flies...