I’ve had a great time being home for Thanksgiving. Like our dogs, we need periods of rest and recovery too. We go go go, it seems, almost year round so going home where I am no longer in charge of cooking or figuring out what to do or how to do it is a much needed time of relaxation and recharge.
Spending time with my family has always been hugely important to me. I return for Thanksgiving each year as we have two family reunions. My mom hosts a big Thanksgiving for her family every year. This year we had 28 people and 6 young kids. It’s always magical getting together with so much family. My dad fries 3 turkeys and my mom bakes 1.
On Friday, we have started a new tradition of going to our local movie theater which is also a pub. They serve food, beer and wine during the film. Out of 28 people, 19 of us went on to see Mockingjay Part 2. It was great! I also play football with friends from high school. We’ve been doing it for over 10 years. I got to the game late this time but still enjoyed seeing old friends and sharing my “Alaskan Adventures” with them.
Saturday was Thanksgiving #2, this time with my dads family. This time it was only 19 people. For a girl living in a cabin in the woods, I found the weekend to be a bit overwhelming with all the people I saw.
We had fun with family friends, going out to dinner. On my last day here we went and saw the play Elf. I love theater but don’t usually have time to go in Alaska. I’ve now seen several shows in Boston – I’ve also seen Wicked and the Lionking. I love the immediacy of theater, watching the performance but also being a part of it too.
We watched movies, played games, and just enjoyed time together. My mom and I have a long standing tradition of playing rummy. When I was in the third grade we played every morning before school, amassing scores in the tens of thousands. My dad and I have a tradition of watching certain movies and quoting them back and forth while I am home: Some Like It Hot, My Fellow Americans, and The Man Who Would Be King.
I enjoyed precious time with my two young nephews, Owen and Teddy and my sister, Leigh as well as her husband Brendan. My time with my brother was too short but we enjoyed a great home made paella that my dad cooked. It was out of this world. I also gorged on East coast seafood: mussels, steamers, quahogs, swordfish and lobster.
Thanks to my family for a great trip home, to Travis for holding down the fort, and to everyone who made time to see me while I was home!
