Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Eat lots of turkey with gravy and dinner rolls for me, and dont forget pumpkin pie. Today ive been telling everyone that they need to eat a lot because its an american holiday, ive had a few people say to me, oh its a party we should get some beer and sodabe, aka local equivilant of moonshine, and celebrate. Excellent cross cultural expirence here, i then explained to these people that thanksgiving wasnt like new years eve, and it was about eating with your family and thinking about those things that we are thankful for, beer is not drunk in excess on thanksgiving. So then I was asked what things that i am thankful for, i say the usual things like being in benin, having a great post, and being able to speak in french well enough to have a nice conversation. but in the back of my mind it got me thinking. after my normal 15 minutes a day at work i went to the post office and i recieved a letter wishing me a happy thanksgiving from my parents, and a nice BIG package with christmas gifts inside among other things like beef jerky and chocolate, thanks guys this was amazing im currently having an altoid.
so what things am i thankful for. im thankful that i have a wonderful extreamly supportive family back home. i remember one day we were doing an activity and someone mentioned that they really werent very close to their family and i found this very sad as i have at least 30 people who love me and support me at any given moment of my life and will stand by me with whatever decisions i make. im also thankful that were very close, i know some of my cousins better than some people know their siblings.
another thing im thankful for is my cat. he keeps me going sometimes, makes me get out of bed because its breakfast time, snuggles with me at night, catches all the rodents, ive noticed a significant decrease in the amoung of mice and lizards that run around in my ceiling.
im also thankful for my postmate, i really dont know what i would do without her its always nice to know that i have another american who understands my trials and tribulations. Weve had many an afternoon together making cake and venting about benin.
im thankful that i really do like it here. i realize its not exactly what i pictured when i applied online end of junior year but im pleasently surprised at what it actually is.
and im thankful that all of you guys, even if i dont know you, read my blog because im able to share my expirence with everyone. anyone who knows me will tell you that one of my all time favorite things to do is tell stories and well now i can tell so many stories.
dont worry about here on thanksgiving, instead think of the people who dont have the things i have had, strong family, friends, freedom, a government that protects me, and a life that i was able to choose.