For the holidays, I am used to not celebrating Thanksgiving with my family since starting college. In the US, I try to make the most of the day with friends who also live out of state and do not go home for the short break. Thanksgiving is an American holiday, and it was strange not to have the day off. In Taiwan, this was the holiday that hit me the hardest with homesickness.
I remember sitting in 7-Eleven with my friends for dinner. I wanted to do a little something for Thanksgiving. No one else knew about the holiday. It was just another day. A wave of homesickness overwhelmed me as tears threatened to show themselves. No one noticed since I was playing them off and smiling. I asked for a napkin to stop my tears, but they were unstoppable. I just gave up hiding and let them flow. My friends' conversations stopped, and more napkins were quickly handed to me. We were all of each other's support system, and it was my turn. I really wanted to do something for Thanksgiving, and one of my friends said it was now or never. I guided everyone through a little activity that was a tradition in my family. Everyone goes around saying something they are grateful for. We went one by one around our table. When it came to me, I looked at each of my friends and told them how grateful I was for them and what they each meant to me. In the end, I felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. The little things in life do matter.
Stemming from that moment, my roommate wanted to celebrate Christmas together. There were several of us who celebrated Christmas back at home, and the other half did not. In Taiwan, Christmas is not a holiday. It was hard not being with family. However, malls were decorated due to marketing reasons, but it still felt Christmasy. Christmas Eve, my friends and I went to a Korean BBQ and an international mall where they had fake snow and a Christmas tree of lights. It was wonderful! I played Santa, and once my roommates were asleep I left gifts on each of their desks. On Christmas day, I left early to attend my finals. It felt strange to be in class and taking a test when I should be making Christmas breakfast with my family. Later that day, my friends and I came together to have a potluck and watched The Grinch That Stole Christmas. The 2023 holidays were ones that I will always remember and hold close to my heart.
