The Transformation of Holidays

First it was Chrismakkuh - changing the game in winter holiday celebrations by mixing Christmas and Hanukkah and creating a SUPER holiday.

Now it's "Friendsgiving" which is a thanksgiving that you celebrate with friends instead of blood family. Fun right?!So far I have celebrated two consecutive Friendsgivings and they both have been EXTREMELY unique to say the least.

My very first Friendsgiving

Mr. Bean anyone?

... was in Madrid when I visited my main dobie* Tatevik Babayan in her semester abroad. This was my first thanksgiving away from home and my family, and I spent it with my close friend and a dozen people I barely knew. It was incredible. 

We started off Friendsgiving eve by getting drinks at Tommy Mel's Classic Diner which was near by our apartment; where I also had my very first Mojito. "Try it" they said, "it's delicious" they said....They lied, it was a trap. After the drinks and fries we scurried home to rest before we went to the open markets in the AM.

Just LOOK at that little guy...so small

Once we bought the groceries, we all prepped and cooked the turkey - but none of us had any quality experience in the kitchen so it was a beautiful catastrophe. I am pretty sure we used toothfloss to tie the turkeys legs together.  Speaking of the bird, it was a SAD, sad excuse for a turkey. I am really questioning if it was even a Turkey right now... Anyway I made the salad, others made mashed potatoes, green beans, some leek dish, deserts and of course wine. Lots of wine ;) The food turned out to be above average - which is a huge feat because this was the first major meal we had ever been in charge of - no parental guidance! I am so proud of that dinner we put together, it'll go down in history, or maybe just my best memories.

We followed dinner up with a night out, because this was not your average thanksgiving people, I mean we were not even in the U.S! We partied at "Joy" a nightclub in Madrid and came home at 5am. It was the most exciting thanksgiving to date - for sure.

   

My second Friendsgiving

... was very impromptu. My group of friends and I went to see the Hunger Games on Friendsgiving eve and feasted in the movie theater. We shared one XL cup of re-fillable soda ( refilled 3 times ), buffalo chicken tenders, french fries, and mushy nachos. Yeah, we are modern day wild animals. I can't believe we did that, then again I can't believe we've done a lot of things.

True friendship is when you can act totally unacceptable together in complete comfort, and laugh about it during, afterwards and for years to come.

Thanksgiving

I did also have a traditional Thanksgiving this year with my cousins and 2nd cousins. It is always such a pleasure to have a fancy feast ( not the cat  food ) with my loved ones. Thanksgiving is really about being with your family, especially the ones you do not see very often. After all family and friends are what make life worth living aren't they?

 The food comes in second right after company. Food is very important and it is usually the center of conversation for most of the night. Our table is set with a plump turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, my moms famous goat cheese salad, bureke, mashed potatoes, green beans and my cousin Dorothy's mouthwatering;y tangy cranberry sauce. MMM-MM! I wish I could have some right now...

This year I had yet another amazing Thanksgiving with my friends and family. I am reminded of how lucky I am to have so much in my life. As much as we try to always remember how blessed we are, we all slip and forget. I am so incredibly thankful for my loving family, friends, boyfriend, education, health, and my future that is full of possibilities. I hope to make something great out of it with the support and love from everyone in it.

Love always,

Liv

*Noun, coming from Livanian terminology meaning : One that is so adorable that when trying to express how cute they are you can not articulate it properly. Therefore they are called a dobie.