This is the final entry in the bi-weekly diary following the journey of a Northeastern student studying abroad in London.

As London has been busily putting up Christmas decorations for the past month and a half, I realized CVS and every mall back home isn’t as over- the-top as I once thought. There is no Thanksgiving here to define their kickoff of the season, so once Halloween concludes, the Christmas festivities start springing up everywhere. I even spotted “book your Christmas party” signs posted by late October.

Celebrating an American holiday over here was definitely a change of pace. Shopping in an English supermarket for Thanksgiving food resembled a scavenger hunt. Pie crusts and turkey basters were nowhere to be found, and I had to rely on a shipment of good ol’ Stove Top stuffing from the States to make the meal complete.

For as long as I can remember, my Thanksgiving responsibility has been apple pies. This year, in addition to that, I had to conjure up a turkey, gravy, stuffing, squash, mashed potatoes and my nana’s famous carrots and pineapples.

The turkey posed the biggest challenge. I know the basic procedure, as I always assisted my mother with the roast once I woke up from the scent filling the house. By that time, however, it was usually in its final stages, since she wakes up at 7 a.m. to put Mr. Turkey in the oven.

I was never forced to endure the unpleasant job of preparing the cold, raw, slimy bird and removing the giblets. Due to my lack of firsthand experience, I called upon my William-Sonoma.com research, Mum’s advice and prayers against a dry or, even worse, undercooked bird. I never realized the value of basting utensils until I found myself without any, relying on the teamwork of my co-chefs to create a makeshift basting process.

To plan and cook food for a holiday was definitely new to me, despite all the help I contributed to family events in the past. I never imagined myself in this position until I was well out of school or with a family of my own. The event was just one more aspect of my abroad experience that has helped me grow and gain more independence.

Since being here I have done and paid for things I never have in the past. The money I have earned is no longer just for fun and play. Going to school in the same city where both my parents work never forced me to venture far from the realm of my parents’ support. Laundry trips home and biweekly food shopping with the folks is no longer an option. I ended up spending 50 pounds on the feast.

This donation from my wallet for others to eat probably would not have been as generous a year ago. It was my most expensive Thanksgiving yet – in fact, the first I have ever spent any of my own money on – but it was well worth it.

The holiday we put together was unlike any at home, but a success. We were provided with a space for our dinner by the Student Union, who also got Coors to sponsor the event and had American football playing on four plasmas. Although I really only get excited about Pats games, I can’t explain how nice it was to hear American commentators talking about a football game that didn’t involve corner kicks and goalies.

Of course Thanksgiving isn’t complete without plenty of leftovers, so we all made sure to contribute plenty of food.

I’d say the best part of the holiday was the people all around me. Although it was odd not to have my dad at the head of the table telling crazy stories and my mum running back and forth from the kitchen, I was in good company. I was lucky to have two visitors; one came from Boston, bringing me a little piece of home along with pie crusts and a box of Stove Top. The other was a friend from Ireland who was excited to experience his first Thanksgiving.

Despite the fun I had, it will be nice to be home on Christmas with my family. I’m missing Boston, despite how amazing this whole experience has been. I’ve met great people, holidayed with good friends, experienced new cultures and visited a total of eight countries.

I recommend everyone to take the chance to study abroad. If you have been reading this column this past semester, you’ve learned the experience has its ups and downs.

Good times depend on a fat wallet and organizational skills. Without these, the time spent here would have been less fulfilling and most likely very frustrating due to cultural differences.

It took hard work to get here and effort to make the time here exceptional, but as I learned in Ireland, “Remember: No rain, no rainbow.”

Thanks for reading. See you all in January.