Thanks For The Memories

I'm having a rough time with this thanksgiving business. Honestly, the idea of missing thanksgiving didn't really even occur to me as a big deal when I was deciding to study abroad. I was way more worried about missing halloween, my third favorite holiday. But it turned out that I didn't miss a whole lot for halloween and I was also having the best week of my life, so it didn't really faze me.
Thanksgiving, though. Man. Hit me like a truck yesterday. I swear, EVERYONE on facebook had a status up about going home /being home/ being with family/etc. and I was just like, shit, I want to be home with my family too. I guess I just never valued thanksgiving enough. It's hectic and sometimes awkward, but it's also family time, and I miss that unbearably. I want to be there and be kung-fu fighting with Julia, and lecturing Nichole about college choices, and telling Lance to stop giving me attitude. Don't get me wrong, I also really am going to miss the actual FOOD, but I'm gonna miss this family time too. My family has been having a pretty rough couple of months and missing this time is upsetting to me. Then, of course, I get more bad, worrying news from my Momma this morning and it just pushed me over the edge of the homesickness cliff.
I have this amazing weekend planned in Uganda- spending time wandering around Kampala, rafting the Nile in Jinja, embarrassing David with inappropriate comments. But all I want to do is get on a plane and come home. I'd come back, of course. But I just feel like I should be there and it's freaking me out. I know I only have a month left, but it's not about the time. It's about this specific day. Who knew I would never fully appreciate thanksgiving until I couldn't be there. It's kind of a sucky feeling.
I hope everyone has a really good time though, and I will be home SO SOON. And I love you all, more than you know! And I'm so thankful for you, too.