Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving a todos y todas!!! On a day that is very distinctly American (United Statesian?), sometimes it is a little difficult to be away from home and in another country. However, I get to celebrate this day in the next best way from spending it with family - with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, a Sister of Charity, and fellow volunteers!! And, of course, later today we will have the unveiling of how we have creatively tried to make Thanksgiving-y food with ingredients that can be found in El Salvador. At least we will have some pumpkin pie pudding!! Pumpkin pie pudding is just the filling of pumpkin pie; I could not find flour or butter to make a pie crust, and since freezers/refrigerators are not exactly normal in markets, I decided not to bother looking hard for a frozen pie crust. So thank you Mom and Dad and Francisco for making it possible for us to have some semblance of pumpkin pie!!!

Although it is, of course, incredibly important to give thanks every day, it is always nice to have a day specifically set aside for the action. So here are a few things I am grateful for!!

In the US:
Warm showers
Readily available tea
The fact that I can use a roll of toilet paper without shaking it out to make sure there is not a scorpion hiding there
The education I have been blessed to receive
My beautiful, caring friends
My great big wonderful, caring family

In El Salvador:
Papayas that I can pick off trees
Beans!!
All of my students
Sister Peggy!!!!
Sister Margaret and Sister Susan
All of my wonderful fellow volunteers!!!!
All of my new friends
My Salvadoran family, especially for Rosa and Eva

Obviously, this is just a brief list. However, I honestly doubt I could ever list every single thing that I am grateful for. So Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!! I am sending my grateful vibes from Suchitoto.