Even though my last reflection was basically a complete bashing of Thanksgiving and its practices, I did really enjoy being able to go home this weekend and see old friends and family while also reflecting on my semester this far. Of course knowing that the next two weeks are going to be filled with countless hours in the library and more money spent on caffeine than food makes me thankful for this short breath of fresh air.
Being that my parents weren’t raised in this country, they had a tendency of slightly overdoing most American holidays because they never wanted my brother and I to feel left out. While I never appreciated this gesture as a child, I thought about it a lot this weekend. For the first time, I felt like an outsider in my home. This emotion was neither good, nor bad but instead I found it to be incredibly interesting, and in some ways refreshing. I remembered what it was like to desperately crave my own freedom, and independence from my parents. Although they’ve treated me like an adult for as long as I can remember, I still wanted to leave. Coming back to the same town, buildings, rooms, and people made my newfound independence and growth so blatantly noticeable in a way that completely slid past my conscience while here in DC. I see things differently.
I’m no longer even moved by things that used to drive me crazy before, and I appreciate aspects of my life that I barely stopped to notice just three months ago. I used to get unbelievable irritated that my peers at my small private school didn’t think it was important to contribute to something that did not directly benefit themselves socially, or financially. I saw these same people this past weekend, and while some, like me, feel like a completely different person, there were those who remained completely unchanged. This didn’t irritate me in the slightest. I just accepted it, and appreciated when my close friends commented on my evident happiness. Gestures such as my parents’ desire to make Thanksgiving as “American” as possible stood out to me and made me appreciate this new kind of relationship that was quickly developing between my family and me.
Overall, I’m excited to get back to Letts 6 where we’ve all created some kind of new home and family, but I’m excited to return after finals and spend more time noticing these changes in myself, and the people around me.
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