Losing Thanksgiving

As my family and friends back home are eating their last bites of pumpkin pie, and washing the remaining dishes, I am here in Australia, where there is no Thanksgiving. People know about it, yes, but it went by without much fanfare here. Now that I've just spent time talking to the family on Skype, I have realized that I may never have a real Thanksgiving again.

I love Thanksgiving. I think I've always loved it because it's near or on my birthday, so growing up I guess I thought it was about me. And it's a great holiday because there are no presents involved. Just family and food. I will truly miss the Northern Hemisphere autumn, and everything that I used to associate with November. Orange leaves, turkeys, pumpkins, warm sweaters, apple cider... all things savory. Of course we will celebrate Thanksgiving here over the years, and I can introduce the tradition to my friends here. But we might have to create our own traditions.

Sunday we're having a barbeque for Thanksgiving and my birthday... well that's how I'm treating it. Others are treating it as the end of the year (school year, orchestra year, etc.). So it will be a fun experience to have a warm, sunny birthday.

Maybe someday we will move back to the US, and I can return to the cold winters and the beautiful fall season in Michigan, which I have always loved. Until then, I will try my best to keep from losing Thanksgiving.