A Day to Be Thankful

Since we had to teach on Thursday, our Thanksgiving was deferred a little bit. Saturday morning most of the teachers gathered early to bring together a big dinner for ourselves, the Russian staff, and some of the host families who decided to come. I was in charge of the Turkey and tried to pitch in and help with anything else I could. In the end we had a plenty of food for the twenty-seven guests (including ourselves.) The only really big scare we had was when we put two of the three turkeys in the oven at the same time. Suddenly the oven couldn't keep up. We waited patiently for a few minutes and then it started to work again. I guess it just needed a little rest! In the end most everything turned out great. The turkey wasn't the best I ever had, but it was the best (and first) I ever cooked. We had a great meal and I think everyone had a great time. The Russian staff even stayed behind and cleaned up, which we greatly appreciated since we were about dead from preparing the meal.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I guess I have a lot to be thankful for: a family who supports me when I go off on some crazy trip half-way around the world, some great new friends to spend the holiday with, the wonderful Russians who make our lives and jobs easier, and so much more...