Turkey Trot: Returning Home to Rest and Rejuvenate
Fall semester always seems to be a blink of an eye. In our third edition of Student Voice, we have been struggling to figure out how to summarize the last month with midterms, mid-semester break, the exciting presidential election, piles of homework and our incredible excitement for Thanksgiving break.
We both can agree that we are thankful—thankful for the opportunity to attend a university like PLU, for our friends, and for our families. Both of us were abroad (Tanzania and Italy) last year for Thanksgiving so that will make this Thanksgiving even more special to be home in Colorado and Washington.
Last year in Tanzania I (Andy) was privileged enough to share the day with a friend from home who had come to visit me for two weeks. The two of us, with another friend from my program in Tanzania, headed up to the village of Lushoto in the Usambara Mountains. Over a dinner of rice, beans, and fresh vegetables that we bought in the local market, we watched a blazing red sun set over the Great Rift Valley with our new friend Anka who owned the camping huts in which we spent the night. As spectacular as it was, it also made me realize how thankful I am for my family, and how special it is to be home for Thanksgiving. The one place I would have rather been at that point was sitting around the table with my parents, sister, and other relatives back in Colorado.
My (Maren’s) Thanksgiving celebration took me to the center of the Catholic Church, Rome, Italy. I met up with some friends who were on a study abroad program in Greece and we decided on a whim to spend our thankful celebration by meeting up in Rome. On the morning of Thanksgiving, we ventured to the Vatican to see St. Peter’s Basilica. It was a gorgeous fall day that made the experience even more surreal. While I missed being home with my family, it was an incredible honor and privilege to spend the American day of thanks with great friends and in such a historically significant place.
Globalization, for whatever effects it has had, has undoubtedly made the world smaller and, for those equipped with a PLU education, more navigable.
But we’ve also come to realize that for all the great adventures to be had around the world, there really is nothing to replace our own home and our own family. As we return home for our last Thanksgivings as college students, we are reminded of the importance our families have played in our lives, and wish we could express to them just how thankful we truly are. Thank you for all that you do, we love you so much.
