Thanksgiving Abroad

In the last 10 years I've spent 5 of them abroad, 3 in London, last year we were in Chile, and this year, Paris. I don't remember what I ate that first year in London, but I remember my roommate Annie, who was studying abroad with me had tacos. In a way it was a pretty American homage because mexican food doesn't really happen in London. I know she invited me to share her American meal and I remember declining having already eaten. The last year I was in London friends made a big meal for me and another American friend and I had delicious parsnips for the first time.

It's really hard to give a shit when you are without all the cultural connections. I'm from Green Bay Wisconsin and football is sort of a big deal where I grew up. But it's next to impossible to watch these games abroad unless you're willing to stay up past your bedtime, which isn't an especially good idea when you have to work the next day because it's not a holiday wherever you're living. Plus who cares, if no one else cares- I'm not going to shout at the boob tube at 3 am by myself in my jammies half awake wondering how Joe Buck still has a job- where's the fun in that? I've lived in New York for a while but I have never been to the parade, nonetheless the hype surrounding it is enough; plus when you're in NYC during Thanksgiving you are hyper aware of avoiding the tourist scene so as not to lose your time and patience so in a way, by going out of your way to avoid it at all costs you were still a part of it.

It's not impossible, but it is pretty hard to find or at least afford traditional Thanksgiving food stuffs while abroad- you can get oreo's and peanut butter, even cream cheese is available on the shelves in both Chile, London and Paris, but cranberries and turkey's aren't exactly standard fare. Today I spent more than 20 bucks on a chicken that is thankfully without hormones, and thus about half the size of an American chicken. With a bottle of wine and a couple of sides, we could have had a decent meal out, but American's who dine out on Thanksgiving seemed to be missing the point, and I remember feeling so much pity for a school friend of mine whose family did this...

A couple days ago Sylvain and I started talking about what traditions we want to start or share when we start our own family. We were making crepes on Saturday night and decided this would be a genius meal to make routine, which apparently is something his family did every Sunday night anyway... Crepes are fun for the whole family, like dessert and a meal, salty this round, sweet the next... Our kids are going to love it. Wherever we end up, I hope we will find a way to create a hybrid Thanksgiving with expats or whomever likes to eat and drink well. Definitely going to have to take that day and maybe the next off of work though...

Tis the season

Last weekend my friend Dave visited from London. We went golfing, had brunch, enjoyed the view at Butte Chaumont and generally had a full but relaxing weekend... and the clocks changed...Somehow this kicked off the holiday season for me. Waking up when it's already light, and finishing work just as the night sky is setting in. It's changed my mood entirely...

We have about 2 months left in Paris, this week were going to London to get my passport stamped, the following weekend we have up to 3 thanksgiving celebrations planned, then we'll spend the next weekend in Lyon for our nieces birthday, that leaves a few free weekends in December before Christmas where we're going to celebrate in Lyon and then spend 3 days snowboarding... It will go fast, but I hope time slows just enough to take it all in. I'm excited for the next chapter, back to NYC but I am anxious not to hurry things along. I love this season, playing Christmas music during the day with the girls, making christmas sweets and planning a thanksgiving menu, the coziness of fall, leaves floating and even that scent in the air at Bois de Boulogne. I half hate myself for enjoying the commercial aspects of Christmas shopping, but something about picking out the perfect gift for loved ones sucks me in every year... We have next to no money, and the money we do have we have tightly clenched in our fists in case everything falls apart when we get to NYC but we've got a secret santa 20 euro budget for his family.

Something about NYC and the states right now seems very fragile... there is a bug bed epidemic in NYC- I survived one in London and New York already, but I'd rather not fight that battle again. The political situation in New York is angry and vitriolic, and it's a battle that seems like it's really just getting started. The job crisis is still entrenched and no matter how capable either of us are, if the opportunities aren't there... well...

There is still so much to enjoy about being in Paris, and we will not move back to Paris even if we do end up back in France or Europe. Dinner parties in French, Bichon au citron, Sylvain's family, and of course, the calm before the storm...

I think we needed this

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