Thanksgiving in Morocco

Before coming to Morocco, I envisioned that Thanksgiving without my natural family would be quite lonely. Thanks to my wonderful host family and friends, Thanksgiving 2013 was anything but that. The festivities began last Sunday with a presentation in the ACCESS classes at AMIDEAST. ACCESS is a really amazing program that provides English lessons to students who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford them. Along with two other YES Abroad students, I taught a class on the history of Thanksgiving. We were able to go further into the story behind this holiday and wrapped up the lesson with apple pie.

We looked awesome in our Turkey hand hats. 

Apple Pie Morocco Edition 

On Wednesday, we shared our Thanksgiving traditions once again, though this time, with a much younger audience: the beginner's English classes at AMIDEAST. Chaos reigned as we helped the students to make their own turkey hats. I made the mistake of teaching them how to gobble, and they then proceeded to chase each other around the classroom, gobbling all the way, for the rest of the time. Here's a video of a few of our students: click here! 

The next day was Thursday: actual Thanksgiving. School was a bit torturous, but in the afternoon, after presenting at the meeting of a university English club, we (the other YES Abroad students and I) rushed to Thanksgiving dinner at the American club.

Waiting for the tram to take us to our turkey dinner! 

 The meal tasted like home, even if it wasn't all that much like my meal would have been like. That night, I got to skype my natural family and talk to my best friend on the phone. I thought that hearing their voices would make me homesick, but instead I felt comforted by their familiar chatter. Before I went to bed, I went to read the news and saw an article of U.S. soldiers having their Thanksgiving meal while on tour. I am grateful that the distance separating my family is both temporary and by choice, and that even though we are on different sides of the world, we are healthy and safe. 

I'm also grateful for this picture of  my dear friends holding my picture! 

Black Friday was actually just Cous Cous Friday and instead of shopping for clothes I went to Carrefour and gathered ingredients for the Thanksgiving meal I made today for my host family. I now have major respect for anyone who cooked their family's Thanksgiving meal, it was somewhat of a stressful experience. But I'm proud of the dishes I made--chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and almond rocas. After my host family clarified that cranberry sauce is not, in fact, made with wine, they dug right in and especially loved the stuffing. 

All in all, I will remember this wonderful, atypical Thanksgiving for a long time. I am grateful to all my friends, Moroccan and American who wished me 'Happy Thanksgiving.' I have so much to be thankful for and can't possibly list it all here, but please know that I am so grateful to everyone who has been a part of my story and who has helped me along the way. Bisous du Maroc :)