This week saw the passing of one of my personal favorite American holidays - Thanksgiving. Normally back home, I celebrate this holiday by spending a week cooking cranberry sauce and this cabbage/lentil thing my mom created before driving to New Jersey to celebrate with my cousins and family the day of. This year, however, I'm in Oman, more than 7,000 miles away from my family, celebrating with five girls I've known less than a year and a bunch of other people I've barely met.

But still, it's pretty perfect in its own way. Sure, I didn't get to sit around the table with my family and give thanks and hold hands and slip away into simultaneous food comas the way we usually do. But I did get to talk to them on Skype (VPN for the win, y'all) as they were preparing the turkey, and give thanks with my exchange sisters as we took part in our own Thanksgiving dinner halfway around the world.

This year, actually, I got two Thanksgivings. The first was on Monday night, when the six of us exchangers and our host families gathered at the house of the American Ambassador to Oman for a holiday dinner. The second was Thursday, the actual day of Thanksgiving. Although not everyone could make it, four of us went together to the home of a really nice woman who works at the embassy who was hosting a sort of holiday gathering. Everyone but us brought a dish to share, and we stuffed ourselves silly on everything available (included both baked AND fried turkey) before heading home with packages of leftovers in our laps.

That being said, Thanksgiving's been really hard for me. It's the first real holiday that I've been away from home, and it's difficult to remember previous years and imagine what this one could have been like. I think that's honestly one of the biggest challenges of being an exchange student; putting your drive to learn in front of the sadness and homesickness that come in waves at the least convenient times. Because it's easy to wish yourself back home with your family - it's hard to imagine that and say to yourself "But you know what? I'm happy here. I'm glad I'm here."

And this year I am thankful for that. I am thankful for the fact that I am here in Oman with five girls who a year ago were total strangers but with whom I now share the sort of friendship that has morphed into sisterhood as we have undertaken this incredible journey together. I am thankful for my friends and family back home, who support me in following my dream 7,000 miles away, and for my friends and host family here in Oman, who have made me feel at home in what was once a foreign land in just three short months. I am thankful for love, and laughter, and the way my three year old host sister's face lights up with a grin as she chucks one of her dolls at my head. I am grateful for the fact that turkey exists in this country, for the fact that "it's okay to get fat, I'm an exchange student", for all of the ups and down and bumps in the road that have led me to where I am today.

It's been hard to get here, and hard to be here, but I wouldn't trade my opportunity for anything in the world. So I guess I'm really just happy, and today, that's what I'm thankful for.

🎶American Pie - Don McLean🎶

It feels like forever since I've posted, but I waited until today for a reason - now I get to tell you about National Day!

In Oman this is a much bigger deal than in the U.S., which is something that shouldn't have shocked me because all we really do in America is watch fireworks and eat cake, but did all the same. About two weeks ago I found out about this, and upon reaching the understanding that we were going to have to wear Omani traditional clothing to school as part of  the celebration I promptly set about trying to obtain some.

After much discussion on the topic, this past weekend my host aunt brought me back a beautiful blue dress from her trip to Nizwa, which I learned was being passed on to me by another member of my host family. It fits perfectly, and I love it (also it's the only piece of embroidered clothing I own).

National Day is celebrated on the 18th of November, the Sultan's birthday - but at ABQ we celebrated it today. Everyone wore their national dress to school, and during our assembly there was a program of speeches, poems, and plays as part of the festivities. Part of this program included myself and Linden - we spoke together about some of the differences we have discovered between America and Oman. 

At the end of the assembly there was a fashion show which featured different styles of clothing from all around the country (although Oman is one nation, each province has a different style of national dress. My friend told me mine is the one from Muscat, the capital region. My personal favorite style is from Dhofar). 

In America we celebrate our independence - in Oman the celebration is about the people and the culture, and the variations that occur therein while still remaining an amazing and united country. And maybe that sounds cheesy but I think it's really beautiful.

Because it's been so long I've included two songs, one of which was my jam over the last week and one of which is just really relevant to this country.

This past Friday morning I was in my room with my host sister when my host aunt came in quickly and told me to get dressed to go. With no idea where we were going, I first put on an abaya before being sent up to change by my host uncle, who informed me that if I wore it out I would regret it and melt. 

The whole family piled into the car and, after dropping off the maid at the City Center, we drove seemingly at random with a few stops at gas stations to buy snack food. After an hour or so we stopped in a more remote town, where we walked to a hot spring that was set up to feed a system of baths (you can see a picture of it on my Photos page). It's super pretty, and after testing the water with my hands I discovered it was boiling hot. 

After we all explored a bit around the area we got back in the car and drove again, this time coming to a stop just outside of Al Hazm castle. Al Hazm is one of the most famous castles in Oman, and it's easy to see why. The views from the top are incredible, and the whole building is beautifully preserved. I had particular fun running around the top and taking pictures, as well as exploring a rather hidden portion of the castle (my host siblings and I found a passage under a flight of stairs and followed it, using my cell phone flashlight to show the way as the lights were broken). 

Before I came to this country I was as tightly wound as a coiled spring... Deadlines and planning ahead were my forte, and spontaneity was not something I was comfortable with. Now... Well, I'm certainly getting better about relaxing - when I first arrived the thought of a random road trip would have terrified me, and this last one turned one of the most fun things I've done in a while.

I'm glad I'm learning to relax, because I think that's a big part of Omani culture. Those of you who know me, of course, are probably scoffing at my statements about letting go of my planning urges. But I swear, it's happening. Slowly maybe, but often that's how change happens.

Sometimes all we have to do is let go, and enjoy the ride.

🎶Let It Go - Idina Menzel🎶

So this past week I was sick... The cause is still at least partially unknown, but with this blog post I'm going to talk generally about being ill while abroad - an occurrence that is more common than it should be and less pleasant than we expect.

The most important thing to remember while on exchange is to be careful and self-aware. That being said... I don't regret a single bite of the sketchy gas station sambusas that gave me my food poisoning. 
BUT
If you can restrain yourself and be smarter than me and my see-food diet, you're much less likely to wind up ill in a foreign land.

Here's why you don't want that to happen:

1. You're away from home. Everything you normally do to make yourself feel better has to be modified to fit your current situation, and suddenly you don't have your family or friends there to comfort you (although you do have your awesome new host family and friends).
2. It's easy to sink. By this I mean that a small illness a few months in can easily turn into a pit of despair and homesickness for you to fall down. DON'T DO IT. Keep yourself out of that pit at all costs.

But here's why it'll be okay anyway:

1. Your host family and new friends are there for you. Ask and ye shall receive. No one wants to see you suffering... Let them help you. 
2. You have a myriad of new things you can do to amuse yourself. No, maybe they're not what you're used to... But at the end of the day you're in an amazing new country that has a lot to offer you.
3. You'll get stronger. Once you make it out of the sick-induced coma you may (at least I did) fall into, you'll have an easier time taking everything as it comes because you know it doesn't get worse than that.

I hope you enjoyed my pros-cons lists... But don't be fooled. Just because there are more points under "why it will be okay" does not mean you should go out and get sick. (HINT, HINT)

In all seriousness though, I'm glad I had those sambusas. If I hadn't had them I would have felt like I was missing out, and this year that's one thing I don't want to do. 

On that note, I'd like to announce a very exciting opportunity I have through school - a week long community service trip to Sri Lanka! I've checked with AMIDEAST, and I'm officially allowed to go. The trip is at the end of February... And I'm already excited. I'll fill you in more on that as I get more information.

Until next time, I leave you with a song I've been looping the last few days

🎶Centuries - Fall Out Boy🎶