By Giuliana Keeth
A small notification popped up on my phone: Thanksgiving Day - November 28, 2024. Up until that moment, studying abroad in France had been the best time of my life. Yet, as I looked at my calendar, I couldn’t help but feel completely distraught seeing that Thanksgiving was coming up in less than a week and a half. My academic semester abroad had been ramping up slowly, and combined with the daily trips I was trying to fit in to explore Paris and other French cities, I had given zero thought about how or if I was going to celebrate Thanksgiving. Once I saw that well-known Thursday creep up on my calendar, though, some part of me realized that it wouldn’t be okay to skip the holiday. Thanksgiving is far from being one of my favorite festivities; however, that day symbolizes something special for me: an occasion where I can truly enjoy the company of my family and friends and feel an overall sense of belonging and companionship.
I had to quickly come up with a plan to celebrate the day. If not, would I really be okay with just calling my family, seeing them all together and then looking at my own small, dark dorm room? Dinnertime at home would take place at midnight in Paris. No, that wouldn’t do. I began scouring the internet, trying to find any Thanksgiving celebrations being planned by restaurants in my area. One after the other, I tried to make a reservation, only to be booted from the website because all the available spaces had been claimed earlier. Would I really celebrate Thanksgiving at a random restaurant with no special plan? I considered suggesting a potluck dinner with friends from my study abroad program, but it was honestly too late to try and get everyone involved. Moreover, I had to keep in mind that no one had a full kitchen at their disposal to cook a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Just when I was starting to lose all hope, I came across the restaurant, Breakfast in America. They were offering a complete menu, including pumpkin pie (which I learned is almost impossible to make in France, because supermarkets don’t typically stock pumpkin purée!), turkey and a full selection of seasonal side dishes. I quickly reserved a spot for myself and a friend, realizing just how lucky I had been to secure our place so late in November.
I will never forget how emotional and nostalgic that meal ended up being. Unbeknownst to me, despite fully enjoying living in Paris, I had slowly become more and more homesick. I longed to spend some time with my family and feel enveloped by the more familiar embrace of American culture during the holiday season. Each part of the meal that night healed some of the small cracks that had been starting to emerge, and I experienced a renewed motivation to keep exploring the city and making the most out of the month I had remaining abroad.
For those of you who are staying in Ithaca over Thanksgiving break, I completely understand how hard it must feel knowing that you won’t be with family to celebrate and spend time together. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t find ways to still recreate some of the company and spirit this particular holiday brings. Even if you don’t usually celebrate Thanksgiving, you might still find yourself a bit homesick. So, instead of giving up on celebrating entirely, I urge you to find small ways to recreate the familiar embrace of home with your friends.
For example, you could try to plan a simple potluck dinner with friends. It definitely doesn’t have to be as fancy as the idea I came up with in Paris. In fact, why not try to make the theme a “dorm cooking” Thanksgiving dinner? You could even have a competition to see who can make the best dish using the least amount of equipment. If you don’t feel like cooking, which is quite understandable given the academic workload that November entails, then why not reserve a spot at a nice restaurant in Ithaca? The Hotel Ithaca offers a Thanksgiving buffet at a price of $45 dollars per person.
If you’re not really feeling like planning a big meal, I still encourage you to spend some time with friends during Thanksgiving break. A small activity, like going to get boba together or watching a movie on a projector, can make all the difference when it comes to avoiding loneliness or homesickness. While nothing can really replace the warmth of being with family, creating a community at Cornell can make each semester feel less daunting and more like a fun adventure to embark on in the company of others. Even if you end up organizing a series of activities for the occasion, make sure to still call family back at home. They surely miss you just as much, if not more.
And with that final thought, I hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving break! Once we come back, we have very little time left until finals, so make sure to rest as much as possible and enjoy the time off.
Giuliana Keeth is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at gmk74@cornell.edu.
