Hey it’s been a tick too long! I changed my hair and at first it was fluorescent orange, but thankfully it has calmed down. This year I’ve learned to not sweat the small stuff, even if the mistake costs you $115.

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This Thanksgiving was unlike any I’ve experienced. I embraced a Puerto Rican Thanksgiving. This was a bit of a culture shock. The celebration was filled with people switching from Spanish to English, a language barrier. The entertainment was Spanish television. Their was common ground however, delish food and wonderful loving people to share it with. Picture this: rice and gandules, pasteles, stuffed turkey, seafood salad, coquito(coconut holiday drink), and flan and pumpkin flan. A wonderful arrangement of traditional ethnic foods with a pinch of America sealed at the seams.You could say that this was a bit of a non-conventional holiday for me, but it proved to be a great learning experience. Every culture embodies different value systems, languages, and non-verbal communication styles. It’s a persons job to break through these barriers or differences and find common ground. People must learn,embrace, and grow from new perspectives. To do this one must overcome challenges and obstacles in order to effectively communicate. Many individuals give up stating they feel “uncomfortable” or “lack the patience”. I encourage you to go out of your way to explore a world beyond that “safe bubble”. My father and I are planing a trip to Puerto Rico after graduation, this will be an adventure I will not forget.Do you have a future trip or unusual holiday experience to share?

I latter had the traditional Conklin celebration. The best part of my voyage home was seeing my grams.She made me the most delicious coconut cream pie! My grams has passed down much of her wisdom to me and I am truly blessed to be able to spend the holiday with her. My sister and her-soon-to-be- husband gave me a fab awaited birthday gift. Traditions are often overlooked or taken for granted, but this year was different for me. It made me realize holidays weren’t always rushed, materialistic, and hassles.  If spent with the right people they could be bliss.Holiday’s I enjoy are filled with laughter and stories of both the good and bad times.These memories have made my family an interesting bunch.  What are some of your family traditions?

“Spend eighty percent of your time focusing on the
opportunities of tomorrow rather than the problems of
yesterday.”

— Brian Tracy