American-Imported Yams and the One Italian Turkey

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Halfway through an hour-long meeting that followed the six hours of class that I had sat through starting at 9am, I looked at the clock and grumbled under my breath that this had to be the worst Thanksgiving of my life.

Thursdays are always my hardest days, with two hours of art class taught in Italian sandwiched between 4 hours on the black plague. Throw in a boring meeting and the knowledge that, halfway across the world, all your friends and family are prepping turkeys and making stuffing, and the already difficult Thursday grows particularly painful.

After a small reception at IES, most of our group headed back to my apartment with various dishes for a potluck Thanksgiving. Mom had pulled cranberry sauce and canned yams out of her “Mary Poppins” suitcase during her visit and, at the last moment, we managed to procure the one turkey in all of Siena. We had green beans, roasted vegetables, garlic mashed potatoes, bread, salad, corn, and one group was even ambitious enough to make stuffing.

The kitchen was a bit hectic during preparations and the food was lukewarm, but as we sat around on chairs and sofas and any other available surface eating off of paper plates with plastic utensils, we all agreed that this was an incredibly successful dinner.

Having changed into my much more forgiving sweatpants and a tee-shirt, I sat on the sofa after our feast and reviled in the fact that I still managed a Thanksgiving food coma, even in Italy. A night of American food and guilt-free English speaking was the perfect paper-writing escape.

Before everyone headed out, a small group of us stood around the table and shared what we were most thankful for. I’m not usually one for the classic, cheesy holiday moments, but this one is a memory I will cherish. The food wasn’t perfect, we didn’t have a parade to watch, and I wasn’t with my family, but this Thanksgiving may be the first time I have really understood the holiday. I am, more than ever, truly thankful for what I have; for the opportunity to study abroad, for exceptional roommates, and for so many wonderful things to be anxious to return to. I was proud of our little group for organizing such a wonderful American holiday, and the night will be remembered as one of my favorites in Siena.
Happy Thanksgiving!