As November unfolds into the holiday season, I feel myself nestled in between an inescapable corner of reassuring sentimentality and a momentous transition. The bridge between childhood and adulthood continues to shrink with every passing second, simultaneously evoking both feelings of nostalgia and the unpredictability of the future. In its origin, Thanksgiving marked a period of new beginnings and gratitude, in which we can relate to senior year’s pivotal passage to a new chapter in life.

My parents were born and raised in Lima, Peru, identifying solely with their culture for the majority of their lives. Wishing to expand his horizons, my dad went to college in the U.S., and my mom permanently moved here after graduating from university in Peru. It was not until years later that my older sister came to my parents, begging them to buy a turkey, after learning about the American tradition of Thanksgiving in her preschool classroom. 2006, when I was one year old, my family gathered around a modest table to partake in a tradition that would become a cherished annual affair — an adopted holiday that transformed into a family favorite.

As a child, I remember dressing up as a pilgrim learning about the Mayflower and the Plymouth colony and coloring my own hand turkey. But now, in November of 2023, as much as I wish I was tracing my hand on a brightly colored piece of paper, that is definitely not the case. Not much time stands between me and the extensive landscapes of a college campus or the wide array of courses I will take to determine my career and the rest of my life. Less than six months from now, I will graduate from high school. This fall break, I will not only look forward to my college experience, but I will reminisce on the memories I have made throughout high school, along with the home I will leave behind and soon refer to as my “childhood” home. These reflections of my past hold a profound weight, and the approaching final holiday season at home has me valuing my time more — making it count.

As the months pass by swiftly and the break approaches sooner than expected, I am highly anticipating the nearing family reunion: thoughts of laughter around the dinner table, the warmth of shared stories and humor and the comforting aroma of the sweet potato casserole and warm pumpkin pie. I long to experience all these moments again, to immerse myself in the nostalgia of simpler times, when the only thing that was on my mind was the time spent surrounded by people I admire. Yet, I dread thinking about college applications, creating a never-ending cycle of fear and uncertainty of the unknown, taking those precious minutes away from savoring the time that I have left.

I consider myself a family-oriented individual, yet with the stress of college applications, battling senioritis and trying to juggle my course load and extracurriculars, I fear that I am distancing myself from the people beside me simply because I am lost in the heat of a mountainous to-do lists. I want my last Thanksgiving break to be a week where I can gain back that time, reminiscing on childhood memories, remaining connected in the present and envisioning a future where I will be independent and leading a life away from the comforting four corners of my home.

However, I am torn between excitement and apprehension. Not because I fear living on my own, but because I fear the unknown. These initial months of senior year, especially, are filled with uncertainties and doubts one simply cannot resolve until the time comes. But with limited time, it is best to leave behind what we cannot control and instead wait in the present as we wait for the future because it will be here before we know it.

I consider this Thanksgiving, or rather, this year as a semi-colon; it is not a full stop, but a mark symbolizing the end of one sentence and the start of a new one. It is a moment of reflection and celebration surrounded by the aroma of tradition and the comfort of familial essence. The sense of independence I will soon gain excites me, marking a period of a profound exploration of myself and the world and my place within it. While I am aware of the bittersweetness of the departure, I am valuing today, tomorrow and a month from now. 

Time flies. People leave. People grow. Soon, it will be us. So, to my fellow seniors: show gratitude, spend time with family, friends, pets, whoever it may be. As the Roman poet Horace said, “Seize the day.”