Last night, we were fortunate enough to get to celebrate Thanksgiving with nine wonderful people. My boss Maria and her mother opened up their lovely apartment for us, two interns, their host families and my former coworker and his sister. Tim cooked a delicious rosemary turkey and everybody else brought a couple of sides. It was about authentic as it could have been—mashed potatoes, stuffing, roasted veggies and sweet potato casserole. We finished things off with apple pie, pumpkin pie and a platter of buckeyes, made by our very own Ohioan, Ariana. It was really fantastic to get to share such a tradition with our Argentine friends.
To commemorate the day, we have both taken a few minutes to write down what we are thankful for this year.
Katie:
This year, and all years, there is much to be thankful for. First and foremost, of course, is family. We have been blessed to have family members who have supported us this year in a number of ways. From helping us pack up the Highview Street apartment to sending us cards across the miles to picking us up at 3 am in the middle of a blizzard when our car broke down— our families have most certainly been there for us during a busy and exciting year. I am thankful I will have the chance to see most of them again at Christmas and equally thankful for the role they are playing in allowing that to happen.
Similarly, I am thankful for Tim, who was deemed the perfect husband at last night’s dinner. I am thankful for his support, his flexibility and his optimism. I am thankful for his dedication to our marriage. But, most of all, I am thankful for his cooking!
I am grateful, too, for my friends. From Pittsburgh to La Plata—how lucky I am to have such wonderful people in my life! In the past year, I have become closer with many incredible people, some of whom I have known for years and some of whom are brand new. Thank you for teaching me, for making me laugh and for spreading your passion. I could not be more grateful for these relationships. I am particularly thankful today for our roommates, who have really welcomed us with open arms.
I am thankful, as well, for my time in La Plata, especially now as it begins to wind down. It has been an amazing experience so far, and I truly appreciate the personal growth it has spurred. I am thankful just to have been in a position to have been able to move abroad, and I am equally grateful that I can return just as easily (with the help and support of family and friends).
I am thankful for the warm weather, which is finally here. I am thankful to no longer be in grad school. I am thankful for the Internet and the ways in which it makes the world smaller. For my health and the health of those closest to me. I am thankful for the beauty of this planet, and all those who do their best to lift up others. And, finally, I am thankful for the possibilities that the future holds.
Tim:
Since we neglected what seems to be the mandatory sitcom-esque airing of thanks during last night’s dinner (perhaps due to my faltering Spanish, or the negative gut reaction to ever giving thanks on a Wednesday), Katie and I decided to spend some time acknowledging the good fortune we’ve had in the last year.
In the last 12 months, there have been some undeniable acts of graciousness, selflessness, and some downright angelic behavior. There were fearless blizzard rescuers, joyful apartment movers, and unquestioning security deposit senders. There were supportive supervisors that found no fault in quitting to live abroad, insightful Spanish teachers that allowed me to speak a second language comfortably, and roommates that were always patient despite language barriers.
The last year was precisely what I had hoped for from months #2 to 14 of marriage. Thanks to Katie for providing adventure without instability, challenge without hesitation, and laughter without reservation.
I’m thankful for a particular group of English-speaking expats in Buenos Aires that I was able to get to know in the past few months and for the job that brought us together. Thanks to my forgiving students that are a blast to teach. I’m grateful for the Argentine kids that showed enormous effort and dedication to learning a second, third, and sometimes a fourth language at an astoundingly young age.
I’m grateful to be sweating in late November while eating apple pie in shorts. I’m thankful for the new world in which we live that makes finding a job, securing an apartment, and talking with loved ones possible from thousands of miles away. I am graciously awaiting our return to the US in three weeks to see family, friends, and start a new phase. To all that have loved us, helped us, supported us, fed us, moved us, ran errands for us, or just made us laugh…..thanks.