Turkey Day in Turkey

I was a bit sad that I did not do anything to celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday. I had received a small Christmas tree from my Nana the day before though in the mail, and a stocking and Christmas presents from my Mom. I decided it was fitting then to set up my Christmas tree on Thanksgiving. I had no hot chocolate, but kept up our family tradition of listening to Amy Grant while decorating my tree.  It definitely made my day a bit better.

Some Fulbrighters decided to get together for Thanksgiving the over the weekend. So I made my way up to the capital, Ankara, to celebrate the holiday with other Americans. We ended up having over 20 people at our dinner which was held at an Embassy officer’s home. And I helped cooking! I helped make the mashed potatoes, and then experimented with a friend to make “sweet potatoes” from fresh pumpkin. No marshmallows, but we mixed it with brown sugar, milk, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, syrup, and walnuts. And it turned out great!  I was so proud that I was actually able to contribute to our huge meal. The actual dinner was amazing. We were afraid we wouldn’t have enough food for everyone, but we had tons of leftovers. We had a great time eating, drinking, dancing, and being merry. It is always so nice to be with other Americans while being abroad, and especially helpful during the holidays. I am very thankful for my new friends that I have made here, and of course for the opportunity to be living and working in Turkey, even if things aren’t going well all the time.  I also miss my family and friends so much and am thankful that technology allows me to remain in contact with them fairly easily.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Happy Turkey Day from Turkey!