An IES Abroad Thanksgiving

Taylor Baciocco
December 8, 2014

I’d certainly anticipated Thanksgiving day to be full of homesickness, but, surprisingly, it wasn’t at all. Almost all of the students got together to create a miniature feast for ourselves in one of the apartments.

Well, the idea was that it would be a miniature feast. The actual event had more food than we knew what to do with.

Just a sample of the food we had. We couldn’t fit everything on the table.

Turkey being a little difficult to find in Siena, and also a pain to cook, we opted for two chickens and some roast beef, with more sides than were in any way necessary, but were fantastically delicious.

And a massive thank you to Ridley for making the chickens!

Sarah’s mother had sent her some Thanksgiving decorations, including our mascot of the night.

We didn’t name him, though we definitely should have

After setting up, because fitting twelve students in one apartment is no easy feat, we all sat around and ate like it was a proper Thanksgiving.

Everything (after the food was made) was so relaxed and we all just enjoyed each other’s company for a while, spread out across two tables and the couches.

Oh, and everything was plastic…We are college students, after all!

Though I know it might make some people more homesick to have an alternative Thanksgiving, ours definitely saved me from becoming homesick. Yes, Thanksgiving at home is very different, but here I had a unique experience that I will never forget.

For all of us, spread out across the city, with limited access to ovens and kitchens in general, to make a meal together, for twelve people, was incredible.

And who would’ve thought that a bunch of college students could actually cook? I certainly didn’t!

Caroline even thought to get vanilla gelato for the pies! Perfection, absolute perfection

Moral of the story: People have the biggest impact on your mood. I didn’t miss home because I was surrounded by people all trying to come together to make our own little home.

And that’s pretty awesome.

Taylor Baciocco

<p><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">Hi! I&#39;m Taylor and I major in English and minor in History at the University of Richmond. I am a novice traveler at best, and have never been anywhere a car couldn&#39;t take me, so I am incredibly excited to be studying in Siena, Italy for the next academic year. In addition to my major and minor, I also am incredibly passionate about music, voice and piano being my preferred instruments, and can&#39;t wait to see what musical outlets I find in Siena. I can&#39;t believe I&#39;m spending an entire year in a city I know I&#39;m going to fall absolutely in love with and I can&#39;t wait to share my perspective of Siena with you!</span></p>

Destination:
Term:
2014 Fall
Home University:
University of Richmond
Major:
English
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