My First Ever Thanksgiving

With every passing day in a place as vibrant and colourful as Stellenbosch I meet new people, see new faces and interact with cultures, races and beliefs that are very different from my own. Some of these people I meet once and never see again, some of them I bump into on campus every now and again but others wiggle their way into a very special place in my heart.

Tonight I celebrated my first ever Thanksgiving. It was a completely new experience and I wasn’t sure of what to expect but I knew that I was going to be surrounded by friends, so I wasn’t too worried. One of the traditions of Thanksgiving is to share with your fellow diners something that you are grateful for before the big feast.

I looked back on 2012 and what it has held for me. It has been an extremely busy year and a lot of things have happened, I’ve had amazing experiences and heart-shattering moments. I have laughed and cried and danced my way through a torrent of other emotions. I have a lot to be thankful of. But the thing that stuck out for me the most was the friends that I made and the friends I held close this year.

As with any hobby, SCUBA diving has opened up a world of new people and experiences for my indulgence. Recently I went on a week-long diving trip to Aliwal Shoal, a dive site near Umkomaas which is just south of Durban. I was a little apprehensive as I only knew two of the people going on the trip but have wanted to dive this particular site since I first fell passionately in love with diving.

After about five minutes of being surrounded by these people I was wondering to myself why on Earth I had ever been worried.

 After a week of diving, drinking and lazing around in the sun I had made some of the most amazing friendships anyone could ever have asked for. These are the people who have exposed me to my first ever Thanksgiving and although it is an American holiday I cannot think of a better tradition than one that makes us realise just how lucky we are. So I must give thanks to all the people who have come in and out of my life this year.

And as the end of the year approaches and goodbyes become inevitable I can’t think of a better time to say thank you and goodbye to some very special people in my life. To Brittany and Monique who are leaving the country tomorrow, I must say thank you for exposing me to your cultures and beliefs, I must thank you for the laughter and memories that we have shared and I truly am grateful for your influence on my life, even if it was short.

To my roommate, I know I will still see you in the new year even if we will no longer be roommates but I need to say thank you for a truly amazing year. You have been there every step of the way this year, guiding me and helping me through one of the most difficult years of my life. I must have been hell to live with this year and yet you were always the perfect flatmate. Thank you.

I hate goodbyes and I’ve never been good at them. The thought of not seeing someone who has largely influenced your life is truly terrifying, but there comes a time when you have to part ways. That doesn’t mean that the influence that person had on you should be left behind however. So as people come and go in your life always remember the things they have taught you.

Lastly I must thank all the people who are not leaving. Thank you for making what could have been the most disastrous year of my life, not only bearable but rather, completely fantastic. I love and appreciate every single one of you.

And on that note I will say Happy Thanksgiving, give thanks for being happy.