My take on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a very special time of the year, and something every American celebrates. It is a wholesome tradition where families come together, cook together and appreciate their quality time spent with each other. I am not American so I do not celebrate thanksgiving. However, since being in the United States for just over a year, I have celebrated thanksgiving once. I must say, I had a wonderful time and felt very loved. The family I was staying with were the parents of one of my teammates. 

At the dinner, we had a joyful time talking about the start of the season and the great matches we had played so far, along with other memories we had created so far, and also what we were thankful for. As the food and drinks we flowing with ease, I felt a sense of inclusivity and very welcome at the table. I feel like this is what the holiday is all about, being inclusive and loving, making others feel welcome at your table. The food preparation took many hours and there was chaos in the kitchen, but it was an organised chaos. However, everyone had a specific role, whether it was peeling potatoes, making sauce or chopping the vegetables, we were all working one big assembly line. Finally the food was done, we dished up and set the table and everyone sat down together. 

For me, the food felt more like a Christmas dinner, as that is the only similarity I have from personal experience to compare it to. However, in the UK we don't eat pumpkin or pecan pie. I tried both for the first time. I was pleasantly surprised with the pumpkin pie, as I don't normally like pumpkin flavoured dishes. But I did not like the pecan pie. I found it very artificially sweet, mixed with the crunchy pecan,. This was not my favourite combination of flavours and textures, but I happy to have tried it as I know it is a big part of the thanksgiving dinner and tradition. 

Overall, I had a great first thanksgiving experience and I am very much looking forward to this years' experience. This year will be a different kind of experience as I am spending it with my boyfriend and his family, but I know it will be a wholesome time non the less.