Thanksgiving needed to have been nominated as the holiday of 2020. Comfy clothes, a little bit of booze, eating a lot of food, hyper competitive games that can only be played from your couch because you’re so stuffed you can’t move… classic 2020.
I first moved away from home for college and quickly figured out that there was no magical fairy that was going to get me home from Washington state to southern California twice in a month to be able to go home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I was devastated at the idea of missing out on what I had done for 20 years of my life. But when it came down to choosing which one was more important to be home for, I decided Thanksgiving was going to be the one I gave up, and thus began what I have now dubbed ‘The Nomadic Thanksgiving Tradition’.
Being a nomad on Thanksgiving is incredibly fun. Once you let go of needing your usual traditions, being lucky enough to be able to experience other people’s traditions and food is actually amazing. I spent a Thanksgiving with my college roommate’s family where I got to try marshmallow yams for the first time, my college advisor took me in one year and I got to try Czech dumplings with her family (and experience the insanity of in-person Black Friday shopping with her), I’ve had Dominican Thanksgiving with my now fiancé’s family, and just this year I participated in a fierce game of Leftovers Lotto where we negotiated trades of gravy, corn pudding, and mashed potatoes. I’ve also worked my fair share of Thanksgiving Days in exchange for other holidays off, because hospitality. But those can be fun too!
2020 marks another year as a Thanksgiving nomad, but I’m so, so grateful for all my experiences, and all the families and friends that have opened their doors to me over the years. ♡
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