My 2nd African Thanksgiving

I know I have said this before, but it is a strange feeling to be in my second year here and repeating major events, like Thanksgiving, as a PCV. I can’t help but think about how fast time has gone by. I can’t help but wonder what it will be like in another year when I am back in the US. And I can’t help but be amazed that I was able to get my hands on a few pieces of turkey for the big day.

As a quick reminder, last year I went to school in the morning (as it is not a holiday here), was picked up in the early afternoon along with the rest of the volunteers in the area, and taken to a nearby guesthouse that allowed us to use their kitchen to cook Thanksgiving dinner. It was nice to be with friends, old and new, to celebrate and be thankful, although I was not a fan of the cooking aspect of the event.

The Thanksgiving turkey prepared by the hotel.

This year had a bit of a different feel. Last weekend I traveled to Limpopo to be a part of the In-Service Training for SA28, the next group of education volunteers, for the week. This meant that unlike last year, I would not be near the volunteers in my area, but I would still be able to celebrate with Americans. It also meant, that unlike last year, I would not have to cook any of the food, but would still be able to eat many of the traditional Thanksgiving fare. The hotel went out of its way to get a turkey (not a popular food item here) and prepare some typical Thanksgiving dishes for our group. And even though there were sessions and presentations throughout the week and weekend, Thanksgiving Day was a free day for us to relax and enjoy, which for me meant a lot of reading, writing, eating (of course), and watching a movie. There was no Macy’s parade watching or Black Friday planning, but those things will be there when I return. For now, I had a chance to be thankful for experience I am having (both the good and the bad) as a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa.