November 28, 2008
Ahhhh, another Thanksgiving Day.
Happy Thanksgiving!

I tried to document my entire day so you could see what Thanksgiving is really like over here. I took pictures every step of the way, as much as possible.

At around 6:30am I began my day with a big cup of coffee, cereal, and some good reading. First things first, you know. I haven't turned the heat on in my apartment because the nights are cold but the days are warm, and my apartment isn't what you'd call "heat efficient." So I bundle up in the mornings.
  

Next it was time to head to school for 4 hours of language class. It was chilly so I wore two thermal shirts, a long-sleeve shirt, my North Face jacket, and my motorcycle jacket. I had two layers of pants, and my leather motorcycle boots. Ready to ride!
   

Now all I have to do it hike down six flights of stairs to the ground level. So down I go.
  

I park my bike right in front of my apartment building. I have a box in back to load my purse and school books into. As I drove to school I passed a man on a motorcycle who had a full grown pig that had been chopped in half and hung by a rope on either side of his bike. I wish I could have taken a picture, but we just passed each other on the road.

Because it took me some extra time to take all the pictures along the way, I arrived 6 minutes late to my class. My teacher was waiting to tell me "you're late" in her sweet little way.
Then it was time to begin class.
   

This is the view outside of my private classroom window. My classroom is in the teacher's administration building, and I park my motorcycle right next to the door. It's very convenient.
   

After the first two hours of class, there's a short break. My friend Lucy stopped by to visit with me and we all took pictures together.
   
   

Just before noon my class was finished and it was time to head back home. I had a lot to get done today so I needed to move quickly. I always take the same route to and from school. I like to head down the steep dirt road behind the school and then drive along the riverfront to avoid traffic as much as possible. The roads here are seriously crazy and I have found that I can get a bit stressed and frustrated when I drive in busy traffic, so it's better for my emotional and physical health to take the roads less traveled.
  
  
     
  

Once I got home it was time to head back up six flights of stairs to my apartment.
   

When I arrive home I have to go through my "Mr. Rogers" routine of removing my outdoor shoes and putting on my indoor shoes.

I made a quick lunch and then spent a few minutes checking my email while I ate a classic Doug Davis sandwich. I won't tell you what it is. You'd probably think it's gross.
        

I changed into my daytime warm weather clothes and headed back down six flights of stairs.

I drove the motorcycle to the market near my home. I was trying to find some celery to stuff with peanut butter and bring to the Thanksgiving potluck later that night. I couldn't find celery, but I found some stuffed peppers that looked okay, so I bought those instead. I also stopped by a small bakery to pick up my standard party food; sweet corn muffins. I also found some tasty peanut brittle! I figured this would be a great thing to bring to a party.
   
   

I drove a few blocks away from the market to a large sports stadium where I like to go to run around the dirt track. I drove right on to the track and got ready for a quick run.
      
    

I drove home and took my groceries back up the six flights of stairs to my apartment.

At this point I only had 40 minutes to shower, pack up my guitar, prepare the food, and meet my friends at the apartment gate. It was a rush job, but it all worked out okay. I tried to spruce up the stuffed peppers by added spices and a little cheese to each. My party-standard muffins I always drizzle with blueberry syrup.
   

My hands were so full of food dishes, and my guitar, music book, and purse were hanging from my back, that I couldn't take pictures as I headed back down the six flights of stairs to go to the apartment complex gate. I met my friends and we walked over to another American family's new apartment. It was beautifully decorated, and it really felt like an American Thanksgiving celebration inside their home.
   
There were lots of little kids running around playing rowdy games. They had a kids table and an adult table, which was really cute. One of the adults had all the kids gather around and listen to the story of the first Thanksgiving. Then they played "pin the hat on the turkey."
   
   
   
We ate multiple plates of delicious food, and then sat around talking and watching "football follies" on TV, which was almost like watching a real football game! After desert I was ready for a nap, but just when I was about to fall asleep on the couch, they called me over to play some songs on the guitar. We all sat around singing songs about thankfulness for a while, and the kids found various things to bang on to accompany our singing. It was a blast.
   

After about five hours of Thanksgiving celebration, I headed home. After hiking back up my six flights of stairs, I quickly put away my leftovers and changed into my most comfortable clothes. I got all tucked in on the couch and by 9pm I was ready to chat with my parents on Skype and watch a little TV on my computer. My dad had made up his own version of Family Feud to play with my relatives during their Thanksgiving Day together. The people surveyed about the answers to all the questions were my parents. I convinced them to let me contribute my answers as well. I cracked them up with how little I know about the names of professional basketball players, the crops grown in Iowa, the machines used on a farm, and the characters of the movie; "It's a Wonderful Life." I'm so glad I got to spend some time laughing with my parents during this special day. Our fun times together, cracking each other up, is my favorite part of Thanksgiving. Once I had this, my day was complete.

Overall I had a really fun day, full of activities, friends, food, and climbing up and down my stairs.        Of course, I do that every day.