Bringing Thanksgiving to France

Thanksgiving is never easy when spent away from home, so last night, seven homesick and turkey-starved Americans, three Frenchies, and an Aussie gathered to recreate the traditional American feast à la française! Michelle hosted the event at her apartment, and with a little innovation, couches and coffee tables were rearranged to comfortably seat 11! I brought Hélène as my guest, and when we stepped inside from the blustering cold and rain, our senses were greeted with a room full of cheerful friends and the aroma of Thanksgiving dinner and hot spiced wine. It felt like we were all at a family gathering in the States. Homemade decorations graced the walls, and the apartment was filled with laughter, music, and an abundance of food.

We all pitched in for the dinner, and the delightful fixings were all there:

• A large turkey (not commonly eaten in France, and was finally located at a butcher)
  
• Cranberry sauce (again nonexistent in France, and was made from scratch.)
  
• STUFFING!!! (Michelle's boyfriend Brett was briefly on leave in the USA, and brought back several boxes for our Thanksgiving fête!)
  
• Mashed potatoes and gravy
  
• Sweet potato bake topped with pink marshmallows (marshmallows are also hard to find here! I notice that the French like to add pink dye to things like marshmallows and toilet paper!)
  
• Corn, salad, and brussels sprouts
  
• Pumpkin pie (you won't find canned pumpkin in France, so Kathy made it from scratch... as in she went to the market and bought an actual pumpkin!)
  
• Apple pie (can't go wrong here!)
  
• Homemade whipped cream
  

For me, the dinner was an enormous morale boost. Not only was I able to eat my favorite meal of the year, I was surrounded by my fellow assistants, Hélène, and our French friends. As homesick as I've been lately for my own family, it's reassuring to have formed a family here in Metz with people from all over the States, France, and Australia. We assistants have weathered what seems like years of experience together in only two short months, which has obviously created a strong bond. We all understand what it feels like to be thousands of miles from home, missing our loved ones, and we support one another. 

It was also so wonderful to share it with Hélène, Thierry, Cyril, and Elli, who had never celebrated Thanksgiving before. They eagerly participated in the overzealous rounds of eating, and would have made any American proud! One of the best moments was trying to explain what to do with the cranberry sauce and gravy. It was also fun assuring them that pumpkin could indeed be consumed as a dessert!

This Thanksgiving (albeit a few days late) was one of the more meaningful of my life, not only for helping me appreciate my loved ones at home, but also for granting me the opportunity to break bread with new friends from different cultures and parts of the world. Thanksgiving is not uniquely American. As I've said in earlier posts, the most important things in life can be reduced to loved ones gathered around a table, sharing good food, drink, and conversation.

Thankful

Today is Thanksgiving, a holiday not celebrated or even widely known in France.  While I won't be celebrating with loved ones back home, I still recognize and give thanks for all I've been given during my first two months abroad.

I'm thankful to be living and working in France, realizing a dream I've had since 7th grade French class with Madame Boehmer.  I never expected to be granted an opportunity like this, and I won't for a moment take it for granted.  

I'm thankful to see sights like this every day in the beautiful city of Metz.  The honey colored stone buildings, the picturesque rivers, the gardens, the cathedral... Almost daily I resist the urge to shout out loud "I can't believe I LIVE here!" 

I'm thankful for Hélène and the miraculous circumstances in which we met which led to me being welcomed into her beautiful home like part of the family.  I feel very much as though I've been adopted by her parents, Bernard and Christianne, and I adore Nicolas, her son.  I can't wait to introduce them to Jim and my family, because I sense that I have made a lifelong friendship with these delightful people.

I'm thankful for the American, Australian, and Jamaican fellow English assistants in Metz who have become a support system of amazing friends, reminding me that I'm not alone in this experience.  As important as it is to have friends to laugh with, it's equally necessary to have people to commiserate with.  (see below)

I'm thankful for the difficulties and TEARS I've endured in France.  Establishing myself here, finding a place to live, learning the city layout, mastering the mass transit system, starting a new job, opening a bank account, starting a cell phone contract, battling the most miserable flu of my life and expressing my needs to pharmacists, tolerating the nasty teacher at one of my schools, the impossible days where my lessons failed and the students acted up, the endless array of paperwork, the loss of self confidence, the daily awkward situations... all of this has culminated into the most difficult endeavor of my life, and completely in FRENCH, no less! I literally had to carve out my existence here, and for that I'm very proud.  I've become stronger, smarter, and independent. 

I'm even thankful for the snotty-nosed little French kids I teach.  Despite the fact that they consistently drive me to the brink of insanity, they genuinely care about me and make me laugh like no one else.  It is a privilege to introduce them to the English language, and to know that I am their first exposure to a skill that will bring them success in their future endeavors.  I hope to be remembered as fondly as I recall Madame Boehmer.

Most of all...

I'm thankful to be COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS to visit my boyfriend, parents, sister, extended family, and friends, all of whom I've been missing terribly.  Even from thousands of miles away, they are my greatest support system.  As much as I love La Bise, it just doesn't compare to a huge, warm, American HUG.

Happy Thanksgiving!