Thankful

As usual, in London the autumn season has quickly faded into winter, but mostly into the season of Christmas.

People start their Christmas shopping in August and September. Christmas isn’t too far away, they say. Ever since my move across the Atlantic, I’ve found it hard to get into that kind of mentality, because well, Thanksgiving.

Some fellow Americans have started to view Thanksgiving as a non-important holiday. It’s becoming more of a reason to shop on Black Friday, even spilling over onto Thursday, the holiday itself. I’ve had my fair share of working the early shift to prep for the rise of Black Friday customers…I think people forget what it’s really all about.

Being thankful.

Thanksgiving in my family is a huge deal. Huge. For years we’ve travelled four hours south of our home to visit our relatives who host the occasion. Some years were spent throwing snowballs when the weather changed quicker than usual, some years were spent outside around the backyard fire sipping on my grandpa’s famous whiskey sours (I’ll be missing those today).

It’s been an occassion that we have always all made an effort to see eachother for. None of us live too close to each other and by Christmas, the weather has always hindered our travel. So our big extended family always sets time aside at Thanksgiving.

Everyone gathers the day before, making sure we’re all there to spend the full Thursday together.

We get up early, missing the Macy’s day parade on TV and instead hit the pavement, participating in one of the many Turkey Trot running races that occur across the country. Three miles running the steep hills of Pittsburgh is no easy feat. And it makes the entire day of snacking with an eventual feast seem that much more well deserved.

Needless to say, it’s a little bit disappointing that this is my third year away from it all.

My third year away from all of the family that I love, care about and am especially thankful for.

While I’m happily living out my dreams in London, on days like these, the important holidays, it’s desperately difficult to be away.

A Skype call with the entire American crew later will reveal a teasing about the food and drinks I’m missing. Despite the undeniable fact that the food is indeed, amazing, it’s not what I’ll be missing the most.

So take a little bit of time today, whether you’re American or British or anything else for that matter and reflect on who and what you’re thankful for… and maybe even let them know it.

Kelly xox