The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Almost

This is the second most wonderful time, maybe? Or the Pre-most wonderful etc. Probably pre. Thanksgiving approaches and I'll be celebrating it in a strange land. I'm trying to get ahold of a Scottish host family to spend Christmas with because I can't really stand the idea of spending Christmas not with SOME kind of familial unit or at least some really good friends or something. My internship, as it turns out, is only for six days BUT, this is the best part - and seriously I'm not being sarcastic - I'll be helping out kids on a young writer's program at the Theatre Royal. This is exactly the kind of program that got me going! This might very well what I do with the rest of my life! I'm excited.

And it's in Bath, which is pretty.

In my head while I was going to sleep last night, I was rehearsing what I was going to say to the Kenyon students who were thinking about going to Exeter in two years, the ones that I would meet as an Exeter Alum and jovially give advice to, alluding and hinting at grand adventures that these kids would be clueless about unless they went. And it occurred to me that I might end up making a comment like this:

"I know this sounds weird - it's maybe not talked about a lot at Kenyon. But going to Exeter, being in England, living with all the English and other international students - you learn what being an American means. You learn it for yourself, as opposed to here in America, where you learn it by what other people tell you being an American means."

It obviously sounds much less eloquent than when it's in my mind and there are thirty some faceless, wide-eyed, pre-Exeter sophomores starring at me.

But seriously, though, you do kind of learn to distinguish qualities you've inherently had because of your culture. And it's not like it makes you better than anyone else, and it's not even that they're always good. But you get a little more insight into what makes an American by taking him/her out of America.

Not that I've always been one for National Identity. I guess I'm still not, when it comes down to it. I think it's important to recognize your heritage as a strong factor of your upbringing. But when it comes down to identity, like That Which You Choose That Guides Who You Are On The Innermost Levels, I don't think America or the American Government is the place to go. I mean I'd say the same thing about England or the English Government, France or the French Government, China or the Chinese Government, etc.

It has begun to get wet, cold, and windy around here. I guess this is what we get instead of snow. Happy Cooking-Turkey day! Happy Thanksgiving Eve! Happy life!