Mi Primer Dia Festivo Sola - Dia de Accion de Gracias

I’ll be spending my first holiday away from home. That’s weird in itself, but it’s even more weird that it’s Thanksgiving. Over the years the Cocktails with Connie crew has dwindled as people get married, have babies, realize they can’t recover from hangovers so well anymore, inherit the cooking of the holiday bird, move away or pass away. But, I’m ALWAYS home for Thanksgiving. I love it! Even being stuck in traffic on the pike was sort of a rush. I’d usually get the I’m-almost-home-feeling right as I was going through the light near ‘the ballet’.

Opening the house to people who care enough to want to see you then having people show up was always a delight. That first class reunion, of about 6 SHS classes actually, many years ago was a fantastic idea. Who knew that 400 Tom Hebert meatballs and some clams casino could create such a tradition? For 8 years Connie and I enjoyed the sweet sentiment we felt in knowing that people felt welcomed in our home. Then, the first ring of the doorbell and Vanessa’s excitement and smile was an instant reminder of so many things to be thankful for.

Football, food, crowded bars, familiar faces, reliving fun memories, creating new ones, and Seth’s beep at 7am for eggs and venison at the Cawna followed be fried turkey at the Lemire’s topped off with some rum and cokes at Smiley’s…those, are good times.

This year will be a different kind of Turkey Day. Tomorrow I will wake up, it will be 80 degrees. Definitely different (minus the First Annual at the corner of High and Glover with the garage open, Unlce Bobby as DJ and eating meatballs in the driveway because it was like 70 outside). I will be heading outside of the town of Quepos with my fellow gringos to a farm. Not sure what will be served yet, but my guess is that gram’s mac and cheese won’t be there, mom’s beans won’t be there either.

But, as I tried to think about how I feel about being away from home, and then received an email from mom about missing me I realized that while the food and scenery will be different my gratefulness for all that I have will be the same. With that Thanksgiving can be had anywhere. In fact, to be away from the people I Love most, is making me all the more aware of what makes my life full. I can’t possibly provide a complete list, but here’s a snapshot. Tomorrow I will be thankful:

-For my family and friends in the States, in Costa Rica and around the world. Even if you don’t know it each of you brings something special to my life, something that makes me, me.
-That each of these people, as far as I know, is healthy right now and will be enjoying a nice dinner, even if it’s not Thanksgiving, somewhere in the world.
-For each of my new family members – Juanca, Rigo and Nicole – for reminding each day me to live my live with passion and clarity.
-That I’m not in India right now.
-That Dena renewed my life and gave me the strength and courage to try something new.
-That I made $20 at work on Monday instead of $8.
-That my brother and his family will be home (yes, I called it home, cause that’s still what it is) with the rest of his family (cause that’s still what they are).
-That Piela will drive my car soon so that I have running wheels when I visit in December. I highly recommend a Honda Accord, she’s served me so well over the years.
-That Dena’s family will miss me like one of their own.
-That I have choices every day…to choose the promotion or not to choose the promotion, but to know that people think I am capable and deserving of one; to make the easy choice or the hard choice in any given situation; to eat junk food or not; to play outside or not; to study Spanish or not; to select from several TGiving dinner invitations or not; to go back to school or not; to be whatever I want to be when I grow up; to have friends over for dinner or not; to kill a rooster or not…
-That I am who I am, and I like who I am…a girl from The Bridge…one that is way-cool with where she’s from, but one that likes to see the world, meet new people, learn new things and walk off the beaten path when she wants to; that I’m a small town girl that made her share of mistakes in that town, but learned from each one and is grateful for the kinds of friends she made in that small town – the kind of friends that will know and love you forever, that know and love you no matter what; that I’m a girl that stands by her choices to make Main Street, Hill Top Posse and Class of ’88 and ’89 (and more) friends in her town, even when people didn’t want her to (I’ll miss you this year Derek).

I hope you too have wonderful reasons to be grateful. Disfrute tu pavo!

This post dedicated to Vanessa. I will make my first pour of the night a Ginger Ale and tip my glass back to the “Good, and Fast, Times at Southbridge High.”