Celebrating Thanksgiving… Study Abroad Style

Thanksgiving might be the quintessential American holiday. Many of us have grown up with the smells of turkey, mashed potatoes, and fresh pies baking on this day of thanks. If you’re currently abroad, or are planning on studying abroad during the Fall semester, you might find yourself feeling nostalgic for home on Thanksgiving Day and wishing that you could wake up to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade, watch some football, and fill yourself full of hearty foods until it’s time to take a nap.

A Study-Abroad Reflection

Now that I’ve officially been back in the States for 2 weeks, I’ve run into many people who ask the same question over and over: How was Ireland??? For the first few people I ran into at the grocery store, I tried to sum up my experience the best and quickest way I could without losing their attention. However, I soon learned that no explanation could suffice. Although I can genuinely tell these people that I had a great time and enjoyed my experience, I will never be able to sufficiently explain everything that affected me in Ireland because no one will be able to understand but me. Although kissing the Blarney Stone, visiting the Belfast peace wall and traveling all over Europe played a very big role in my experience, I believe it is more the little things I encountered day to day that will stick with me the longest and will continue to shape how I act and view the world.