The Thing I am Most Thankful for this Year

This week was a short work week for us because of the Thanksgiving Holiday.  We worked Monday to Wednesday as usual, and then were off the rest of the week.  Work was a little slow this week because most of the patients were being discharged for the holiday.  Most of the patients that I do bedsides with in the afternoons were already discharged by my shift on Wednesday, so I imagine that next week will be completely new patients for me, which is exciting and disappointing at the same time.  It’s great that most of the kids were able to go home for the holiday, but disappointing that some of the one’s I had spent time with I won’t see again.

This year was the first Thanksgiving that I haven’t spent with my family, which was really strange.  My team spent Thanksgiving with two Water teams that are also in Arkansas.  We had a potluck lunch where the three teams contributed different foods and drinks and ate at the camp where Water 2 is working.  The day definitely felt like an awkward family holiday, where Fire 6 was the redheaded stepchild of the family.  It’s definitely hard to get together in large groups like that, especially when two of the teams are from the same unit, spent all of training together, and formed bonds that we weren’t able to for the most part.  I’m glad to say though, I think the day definitely brought the team closer together, and I was so thankful to have them as my team compared to other possibilities.  I think the hardest thing about Thanksgiving was not being able to have lunch at my grandparents’ house.  I am so used to doing that every year and drawing names for Christmas gift exchange that I felt left out when my mom called and passed the phone around to the rest of our family. 

                       

The rest of the week and weekend were filled with activities.  Friday, I went hiking with Chris and hung out at camp for a bit.  Then, that afternoon I went with my team to the University of Arkansas in Little Rock Men’s basketball game, which they won.  Saturday, me and a couple of my teammates went to the Arkansas V. LSU tailgate, which took me back to the good times at W. B. stadium with my Gamecock friends. 

Basically, it made me miss home and the fall in the South.  There is really nothing like it.  Every weekend is filled with die-hard football fans tailgating, cheering on their teams, and either celebrating the win or sulking over the loss.  Mild weather and weekends spent at bonfires with good friends.  Does life get any better?