I can’t believe yesterday was Thanksgiving! That means that it is the end of November and the start of December. I have been here almost three months now! You’re probably wondering what I did on Thanksgiving. Well, as I said in my last post, Italians don’t celebrate Thanksgiving since it’s only a USA holiday. But as it turns out, Camilla’s 18th birthday is on Thanksgiving, so we did celebrate something! A lot of Camilla’s friends came over and we talked and ate sweet snacks next to the stufa (stove) because it was warm :)

However, since it was Thankgiving yesterday, and I’m American, I’m going to do a well known Thankgiving tradition. I’m going to say what I am thankful for from this past year (November 26, 2014 – November 26, 2015)!

First of all, I’m thankful my loving American family for supporting me, loving me, and guiding me. Without my family, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I wouldn’t have had the courage to leave them for a whole year to live with a whole different family in a place 6,089 miles away from home. Without my family, I wouldn’t have had the support to go on this life changing adventure. So thank you so much mom, dad, Sarah, Sydney, grandma, grandad, grandma Judy, cousin Brooke, cousin Patrick, aunt Laurel, and uncle Mark. I love you!

I am also thankful for my friends back home. You guys have given me great joy and lots of laughter this past year. I don’t know what I would do without you. Somehow, you guys helped me get through junior year of high school, and made it fun in the process! Each one of my friends has made a big impact on me this past year. I’m not going to list all of the impacts because that would take hours to write! Just know that each one of you mean so much to me. Thank you all for laughing with me this year, crying with me this year, and supporting me in my decision to leave for a year. I love you all.

I am thankful for my Italian host family. Thank you for letting me be part of your family this year. I know it can be hard to adjust to someone new in your home, but I can see how hard you are trying to make me feel welcome, and I’m thankful for that. Thank you for being patient with my rough Italian these first few months. Thank you mom for making the most delicious food ever!! (I need a cookbook of all of your Italian recipes my god!). Thank you for taking me on to see the EXPO in Milan, the Champoluc mountains, the Monza palace, etc. I love traveling around Italy! Thank you for helping me adjust to Italy and your lifestyle. Thank you for being kind and loving to me and treating me as part of the family. It’s only been 2 1/2 months and I already feel so comfortable here. Thank you!

Finally, I’d like to thank my new Italian friends. Even though it’s only been a couple months, I already feel so close with some of you. Thank you for talking to me and helping me with my Italian. Thank you for teaching me about your funny culture. Thank you for helping me adjust to Italian school. Thank you for helping me feel welcomed. Thank you for smiling and laughing with me. Thank you for being some of the kindest, friendliest people I’ve ever met. I can’t wait to see the adventures we go on this year!