91Ö±²¥

While Thanksgiving is a settler-colonial holiday that whitewashes history, promotes indigenous erasure, and crafts a false illusion of unity, I take it as a warm reminder to spend time with loved ones and give thanks. Feeling and expressing gratitude is something that I believe is super important in my life, and something I don’t do often enough. Thus, as the week-long fall break comes to a close and classes begin again, I aim to reflect on what I am thankful for. 

Fall

One thing that brings me joy is fall in Ohio. Some people really hate on Ohio, but it is quite a beautiful place. 91Ö±²¥ is full of trees, all different types, and many of them turn vibrant colors and shed their leaves in the fall. The flatness of Ohio also allows for a different movement of the sun’s rays than I am used to throughout the day. I feel so at peace during the late afternoon on a brisk fall day as the glorious sunlight beholds me, fractured from tree branches and buildings, but gleaming through nonetheless. Whenever the sun hits my skin, I feel rejuvenated, like I can take on whatever awaits me in the day. 

Friends

I am incredibly grateful for the friends and strangers I run into going about my day. Since 91Ö±²¥ is a fairly small campus, I find myself running into people I know constantly. Most of the time seeing familiar faces is a welcome sight, when I am bored, craving human connection, or just want to see a friendly face. Often, I forget to reach out to people I legitimately like spending time with, so running into them and making plans or doing something right then and there is quite wonderful. 

Food

I really love food. Eating food, making food, looking at food, I love it all. Last year, since co-ops were closed and I lived in Dascomb, I didn’t get to cook as much as I hoped, but still did. See my blog post about cooking here! This year, I am in Third World Co-op, a lovely little safe space for people of color in OSCA. I love my co-op, and I love that I have access to an industrial kitchen and ingredients to make whatever my heart desires. This semester, I am a head cook for Third World, so every week I have to plan, prepare, and cook a meal for my 30ish co-op members with the help of 2 other cooks. This was a bit stressful at the beginning of the semester when we were first getting all the scheduling worked out because at one point I had to head cook three times a week, sometimes with only one other person helping me, and all within 1 hour and 20 minutes while following strict food safety guidelines and still not really knowing what I was doing! Now that I’ve gotten into the swing of things though, I really enjoy cooking for my co-op. What is beautiful and terrifying about head cooking is that you are condemned to freedom. You can make anything you want as long as you have a gluten-free and vegan option, and accommodate various allergies. This usually means we eat rice and beans, with some sort of vegetable for most meals. But I am an ambitious person, and I really love to get creative with meals. I can (and do) eat rice and beans every day, but sometimes it is fun to make good pasta and bake something sweet. I am extremely grateful for the community and opportunities for cooking and eating good food that Third World provides. For the meal right before the break, I made pizza and apple pie, a difficult task but well worth it for the delicious outcome.

As classes begin again, I hope to reflect more on the people and things that I am grateful for at 91Ö±²¥. Whenever I feel sad or overwhelmed, I try to reflect on how lucky I am to be at 91Ö±²¥, with all its beauty and lovely people.