thoughts on thanksgiving.

A year ago today I was standing on the side of the road in my thick winter jacket waiting for a peasant to finish roasting 14 sweet potatoes. I was in Zhengzhou, China for the weekend visiting Grant and we were on our way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with a few of his friends. Everyone was bringing a dish to share and our contribution ended up being common street food.

Earlier that day we had peeled and mashed about a dozen potatoes in his apartment. Unsure of how to cook them, we placed the potatoes in a large pot, added some milk, salt and pepper, and began heating them on an electric burner. After a few minutes a horrible smell started to fill the room. We took off the lid to the pot only to discover the potatoes were beginning to stick the bottom and were turning black. The more milk we added the more intense the smell. Eventually the whole apartment reeked of burnt trash. Knowing that we couldn’t take the trash-smelling potatoes to dinner, we grabbed our things and hit the street in search of a sweet potato vendor. In China sweet potatoes are one of the most common types of street food and can be found on virtually every corner during the winter…. except for on this particular day. After walking around the neighborhood for a good while without any luck, we hopped in a taxi and drove around until we spotted a portable black roaster and a vendor eager to make a few Yuan. Thankfully, we showed up for dinner just in time with a trash bag full of steaming hot potatoes. Everyone else had prepared homemade dishes and they weren’t so impressed with our street food. If only they had known the alternative.

Today I find myself on the other side of the world once again wishing that I were home to enjoy turkey, stuffing, rolls, green bean casserole and pecan pie on this Thanksgiving Day. It’s always hard to be away from family during the holidays. I so badly wish there was a way to have it all in life…family nearby, shared holidays, travel, adventure, etc. I haven’t yet found a way to merge all of my favorite things about life into one. When I am in America I long to be back overseas living, traveling, and learning about new cultures. When I am overseas I find myself missing family and the traditions of home. I guess that’s just part of living. We can’t have it all. I love being overseas more than anything, but it’s always just a little harder around the holidays. While my family is sitting around the dinner table tonight eating and laughing and telling stories I am here in Asia with so much to be thankful for. Tonight I will most likely go out for dessert and coffee to celebrate the day with friends, but it doesn’t beat my grandma's freshly baked pecan pie! If only the pilgrims had landed in Korea….

In the spirit of Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful for: mom, dad, Amanda, Kyle, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, my bffitssfaea, meagan, lauren, brent, new friends in Korea, my warm apartment, the chance to live my dream of traveling the world, hope, education, blankets, shoes, my job, memories of China and Southeast Asia, freedom, toothbrushes, clothes, pillows, my journal, coffee, public transportation, temples, the opportunities that come from being born in America, books, music, beaches, mountains, hostels, warm showers, scarves, my seat near the window at Starbucks, inspirational quotes, shampoo, computers, washing machines, candles, movies, photographs, streets full of neon lights, cars, air-conditioning, heat, cell phones, hair dryers, fruit, long underwear, hammocks, church, democracy, snowflakes, sunshine, rainy days with nothing to do, etc. etc.

happy thanksgiving!