Every one at the Thanksgiving table!
We had to split it in half to fit everyone!
Let me just start of telling you all what I was Thankful for this year:
««I am very thankful that I have so many wonderful friends and family members that have supported me and loved me every day even though I know I can be a little "rough around the edges".
I am Thankful that I have had this wonderful opportunity to travel in a different country and to have met so many wonderful new people and friends.
I am Thankful that I have a home, a family, friends, a job, a warm bed, clothes, etc.
Above all, I am Thankful that no matter how bad things get, I still manage to smile at the little things.««
A plate full of delicious!
So this year was my first year away from my family on Thanksgiving. I knew it was going to be hard since I wont have the chance to see my family, go shopping with them on Black Friday (even though I only go to get coffee ;p ), and to not have the ability to help my Nana put up the Christmas decorations. Since we could not go home for Thanksgiving we decided to bring Thanksgiving to our new home. So, we invited all of our friends here in Germany and it turned out HUGE! About thirty people or more people showed up and most brought food from home or drinks. We had two different versions of Kartoffel-Suppe (potato Soup) from some German friends. There were Finnish Pancakes, a vegan-friendly Nut Roast, Spanish Omelet, Fruit Cake, Leeks and Carrots, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Baked Apples, and of course the TURKEY! All of the food was so delicious and no one, NO ONE walked away hungry and there were very few leftovers left. Every one absolutely loved the Thanksgiving and the celebration. In all, it was such a big success that I was so Thankful (and tired) that it went so well.
My finished Turkey before the oven!
I made the Turkey this year. It was my first time EVER making or even looking at a raw Turkey. I had to call Ashley down cause I have never seen how to take the gizzards and such of a Turkey. Luckily she had at least seen someone do it and helped me. From there I let the Turkey brine in salt-water for 8 hours. The next day I gathered the Rosemary-garlic rub and put it on the Turkey in between the skin and meat. I then sewed shut all openings of the skin and put it in the oven (along with some carrots and onions with some water in the bottom). In total it cooked for about 7 hours and it turned out AMAZING! It was so moist and flavorful! Every one loved it and there was none left at the end of the night. I am so glad that my first Turkey was so successful!
Overall, I am really glad that we decided to hold this holiday here. It brought a lot of people from all over the world to gather, eat, talk, and be happy. The Americans all felt at home with our holiday and talked a lot of what their own traditional Thanksgiving holidays held.
So this is a short (and late) post but there will be another in a few days with our latest grand adventures!!
XOXO Emily
A big line for the food.
Travel Tips:
1. Set goals for yourself. Whether it be to learn 1 new thing a day or to become a better person in general. It allows you to accomplish something while you are in a state of constant chaos and confusion of being in a different country. Plus, it is great for your well being.
2. Find outlets for your stress or anger. Try running or walking around the block. Create a playlist where you can express yourself through music. Pick up drawing, write a journal, etc. The more you let your stress pent up the more you will hurt the people around you.
3. Sometimes you need to relax. Even though you are in a new place and want to be a part of every outing, party, dinner, etc. sometimes you need to take time to yourself. For me, I love to crawl into bed with a good book or movie and some Tea. It makes me feel at home and I love the time to breath. Also, I have started doing some basic Yoga where I focus on breathing and relaxing instead of over thinking everything.
Cassandra, Ashley, and I in our Thanksgiving best with GLÜHWEIN!
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