Friendsgiving

Julia Szeto
November 30, 2015

I think Thanksgiving is around the time that homesickness really starts to hit. It started a little earlier for me when Siena began putting up lights in the streets in early November.

Thankfully, my friends and I pulled together our first Friendsgiving Thanksgiving. We made garlic bread, gravy, mashed potatoes, veggies, stuffing, sweet taters, and piesā€¦the only thing we were missing was the usual American centerpiece: a turkey. Unfortunately, whole turkeys are not sold in the supermarket in Siena, and we had to settle for a couple of rotisserie chickens. Despite that, our Friendsgiving dinner was a success, complete with mimosas! We made sure to go around the table to say what we were thankful for, and after dinner, Christmas music commenced.

In Siena, a huge tree has gone up in Piazza Tolomei, and lights are spreading to every street. Window displays now have snowflakes and Christmas-themed decorations. Excitement is in the air and I have to say that Christmas here is no small deal.

We all look forward to December 8, the beginning of Jubilee year and the day Iā€™m told that all the Christmas lights will switch on in the city. Until then, Iā€™ll be playing my Christmas tunesā€¦

(Also, this is crazy. I have only 2.5 more weeks here!!!)

Cheers! 

More Blogs From This Author

View All Blogs

Julia Szeto

<p>I am a junior at Bates College, where I study English, Creative Writing, and Chemistry. Though I left the beautiful forests of Portland, Oregon for snowier seasons in Maine, I&#39;ve discovered that there are valuable stories to be heard and told in ever corner, or coast, of the world. I am interested in people and the words they have to say, and I am thrilled to be in a city as rich with history as Siena. I hope to explore new perspectives of culture and life in Siena through words and photographs. Outside of story-telling, I am a varsity coxswain on the Bates rowing team, and I enjoy hiking, trail running, singing loudly in the car, and getting hopelessly lost in a good book.</p>

Destination:
Home University:
Bates College
Major:
English
Explore Blogs