Thanksgiving is coming up soon and although it is not a holiday I grew up with, it became one of my favorite American holidays. It’s a great chance to take a deeper look at one’s life and try to see and actually appreciate what we have and what we take for granted every day of our lives.

Our lives as expats are definitely not short on challenges! We have to understand a new way of getting things done every couple of years, learn to decipher the nuances of a culture, new food, new economy, new holidays! We must also find the right school, the right house, the right doctor etc etc etc. And Any Friends! By the time you think you’re settled, you’re moved and you have to redo it all over again!!

But it also comes with a richness of gifts! Learning a new way of getting things done, being able to decipher the nuances of a culture, tasting new food, celebrating new holidays!! Your children get a fresh start in school, you the chance to redecorate your house and all those new interesting people that are happy to be your friends. You have the joy of never having a dull moment in your life; or at least never having to endure one, with so many new, unfamiliar things to learn about, so many people to enjoy their friendship. Our lifestyle presents us with a richness of experiences available at our fingertips, if and whenever we choose to go for it!

In October we had our own fasting month, Ramadan, our Eid celebration; but also a big celebration of Divali, a day full of beautiful arts, crafts and the tastiest of food. Last night it was a crazy, lively party celebrating the German Oktoberfest. Those there spent the whole night dancing and laughing with the most boisterous crowd, embracing life with every minute. We also had the chance to watch all those award winning Spanish movies in Cervantes. And the list goes on and on.

October 27 was UN Day. I cannot think of a better way to live by the values that this day is meant to celebrate, than by taking the chance to experience new multi cultural things and appreciating them for the gifts they are. There’s no better way than having an open attitude while trying to understand all these cultures and people. They, at first look, seem to be so very different from anything we know or understand. However, then we see that they are just a different color of the same fabric of all human lives. We all share the same dreams, fears and aspirations worldwide for security, love and always working towards a better life.

So take the chance of Thanksgiving to think about how lucky we are with all those endless gifts of life and all those great friends we get to make every day. Go ahead, go out and watch a movie that was produced in some place far, far away from Hollywood; or listen to a song in a language you don’t understand; or taste a dish you’ve never had before; and in doing it all, you would be working to enhance global understanding!

May Soliman