The first Thanksgiving in which I didn’t go home to my family in New Jersey was in 2004. I was working for Bloomberg News in London at the time, and I had to work.
For the first time, I felt homesick for the United States. Having to work on Thanksgiving? Not only that, there were no news stories about busy airports and long lines at the Amtrak station. No Thanksgiving-related food drives for the needy. No children making turkeys out of paper plates and construction paper.
I had a turkey sandwich for lunch, some English afternoon tea and that evening, I set out to have dinner with two American friends, Kris and Mark. It turned out to be a great adventure — starting with a rickshaw ride down Regent Street in London and culminating with wine and the best dinner possible given the lack of American ingredients with which to make it. (They didn’t sell whole turkeys there!) (Story and photos from my blog at that time are at this link.)
The following year, I spent Thanksgiving with families in the Hurricane Katrina zone. I wrote one of the best one-day articles of my career.
Future Thanksgivings were spent with friends in Seattle, or working and eating the office potluck.
This is what life is like for most journalists, and every other type of person whose career takes her far from home. Home becomes a place you create.
This year, I find myself in yet another new city: Minneapolis. Another city that I’d never visited before my job interview. Another city to which I moved not knowing anyone but my employer. Another city that has its own personality and quirks (state fair!) that you just have to visit to understand.
Nearly everyone in my office invited me over for Thanksgiving — they know I am here alone and don’t hesitate to invite a near-stranger over to share the day. How’s that for good will and kindness?
But I do have plans. My friend from Northwestern University hails from here, and she’ll be in town for the holiday and her family has invited me to join in. For that, I’m thankful.
And I’m also thankful for this American tradition. Londoners remarked to me that they don’t have a similar holiday in which everyone gets together and celebrates, no matter what their religion.
Now that I’ve lived on all American coasts, and in seven cities in 10 years, I can tell you — we’re lucky to have a holiday that transcends religion and politics.
Thanksgiving brings out the best in us, and we can be proud of that.
Happy Thanksgiving.
I remember a certain Thanksgiving with you!
Happy Thanksgiving AJ! We miss you!
XOXO
Me too Kerri! Mwah!
so glad you had a great thanksgiving. i must admit it was thrilling this year to know for sure i was going to have the holiday off, and not be working the night cops shift on the friday after thanksgiving, making it impossible to travel to see my scattered family. been there, done that, it was fun, til it wasn’t. 😉
I’m a little surprised by your comment about Londoners not having a similar holiday as Thanksgiving. I grew up in England but moved to the US 9 years ago so I have some understanding of both cultures. Christmas in the UK is almost exactly the same holiday as Thanksgiving in that British people will go to significant lengths to travel to be with family. There is even a large traditional dinner with turkey at the center eaten on Christmas Day.
Sure, Christmas is a holiday with religious roots but as you probably noticed there isn’t a whole lot of religion left in the UK. Lots of old imposing churches but with small congregations. These days Christmas is all about being with family. Yes, there are groups of people that don’t celebrate Christmas in the UK just as there are people that don’t do much for Thanksgiving in the US (I think a lot of Native Americans are quite conflicted about Thanksgiving).
It is interesting to me as I learn about other cultures that there is often a core event that occurs each year that families will make significant effort to get together for. The US has Thanksgiving, UK and much of Europe has Christmas, China has its New Year around the end of January, Japan has its New Year at the beginning of January etc. There is definitely a strong drive in human nature to periodically reconnect with your family.
I hope you enjoyed your time in my country of birth. London is certainly an exciting city to spend time in and explore.
Sigh. Oh London. I loved what Mark’s mom did with that turkey.
2009: Thanks to my job, we spent another Thanksgiving away from family.
http://www.vimeo.com/7878643
It was an exciting 3-hour show with 30,000 people running in a huge Thanksgiving Day 5K/10K in Sacramento. But I was also wiped out and I didn’t have the energy to cook a Thanksgiving meal…until the weekend.