Thanksgiving Day

Between today and tomorrow, I will be posting three new blogs. So please be sure to read each of them as I fill you in on everything that happened for Thanksgiving, my birthday, and some new wisdom that I've acquired on this journey. As always, thanks in advance for reading- enjoy!

Thanksgiving 2012 will never be forgotten. That's a promise...
On thursday morning I slept in until 8:30 and met my friend Lucia on the path along the beach where we waited for the rest of our class. Half an hour later my gym teacher, religion teacher, and fifteen other classmates came into sight. Joining the large group, we headed for La Cueva de Tallada.
A ten minute walk to the east brings you to the end of Las Rotas (the residence along the rocky beaches) and then the Montgó Nature Reserve begins.

As we climbed higher the majestic view was only enhanced.

Previous days of rain left the path muddy and smooth rocks were one's worst enemy: it's not the safest hike and one slip could be fatal. Thankfully, it didn't take long to reach our destination.

From the top of a cliff we began our decent down to the cave.

The boys went first so they could help the rest of us girl... as if weren't just as capable of rock climbing. Psh. Please.

Once we reached the bottom of the cliff we turned to the right and BOOM. Out of nowhere this huge cave is ready to swallow you up.

Inside there were shallow pools, tons of rock, and extension areas to explore.

Before going deeper into the cave our gym teacher went ahead and lit candles throughout the tunnel.

I couldn't stop feeling like I was in a National Treasure or Indian Jones movie.

I thought of everybody at home cooking the turkey and setting Thanksgiving tables with the special china and pretty napkins. And then here I was... I never would have imagined that I'd be deep within a cave along the Mediterranean Sea (finally understanding claustrophobia) and at the mercy of the tons of rock above my head.

"This is the coolest thing I've ever done in my life," I kept telling myself. Not even standing before the Eiffel Tower gave me such a sense of excitement or aw for my surrounds.. I hope that doesn't make me sounds spoiled or ungrateful. It's true though, and I think it says something about my liking for adventures in nature over viewing manmade architecture.

Back in the opening of the cave (and sunlight) we ate lunch while a few crazy boys went swimming in the ice cold water. Our time was cut short when it started to rain outside, though. It was necessary that we got back up onto the trail before the rocks on the cliff were too slick and dangerous to climb. With no injuries and lots of fun the excursion was a success. We headed back towards the city and I said goodbye to everyone as I turned down another street to go home. 

At 1:00 I got home, showered, threw on pajamas, and went to bed. Until then my homesickness was at a 2 (on a level of 1-10) and I was more than happy with the way this Thanksgiving was turning out. I took some time to reflect, pray, and count my blessings. "I'm not going to cry today. NO homesickness." I told myself.

Just as I was settling in to take a nap, the housekeeper arrived and started making noise in the kitchen which kept me awake. Around 3:00 my host dad came home and announced that I'd received several letters in the mail. Two of the envelopes were birthday cards that I knew were not to be opened until the 28th. Another was from Jack Kammer, a Rotarian from back home. And the last one was from one of my best friends, Julia Viola. 

Both letters were very long, and I read them each twice to let the words sink in. Lord only knows how much I love both writing and receiving letters- so thank you to those who have written me! I treasure each one...

Soon I found myself on Facebook and scrolling through the endless statuses and pictures from Thanksgiving. YoungLife friends were all playing football together. Family was gathering. Thoughts of pumpkin pie with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream tantalized my taste buds. It was my sister's birthday. And Señorita M. was getting married the next day. So many things were calling me back home... I couldn't suppress the feelings that were building up. I sat down to wish Danica a happy birthday on Facebook and within minutes I lost all composure. So much for not getting homesick!!!! But what was I supposed to do? Crying it out is always better than bottling it up- so I just went with it..

Danica and I Skyped, and I bawled my eyes out for a good two minutes before I could choke out a word. I wished her a happy birthday and then said Hi to everyone at the house for the holiday.

For the rest of the afternoon I staying curled up in bed crying and eating chocolate. Yes, it was pathetic, But when I'm miserable I just want to be left alone so I can continue being miserable. 

Finally at 7pm I emerged from my cave like a grumpy animal and made myself look presentable. At 8:45 my host mom picked me up from home and we headed to the Thanksgiving dinner that Rotary was having for us.

So to summarize the night: The turkey was awful. In broken spanish I explained to Rotary what Thanksgiving was like for my family. Us "Exchangies" sat together, spoke in english, and had a good time despite the various stages of homesickness that we were experiencing. The host parents sat together and either bragged about or bashed the exchange student that they were hosting- but that was their business. For desert we had chocolate cake because ONE MAN in Rotary didn't like pumpkin pie.  It's a good thing I don't know spanish or which man it was- because nobody robs me of my pumpkin pie!

On the way home the sky was clear and stars twinkled above the universe. I said another short prayer to myself and basked in the beautiful moment. At 1am we got home and I went straight to bed. It had been a long and very emotional day- but certainly a memorable Thanksgiving.