Real Thanksgiving (well, sort of)

While many of you are probably settling in around the dinner table, about to dig into that freshly roasted turkey, my table is clear and the leftovers are already packed and sitting in the fridge.

My uncle from Luxembourg was in the U.S. for a week on business and he swung by and spent yesterday here. Since his flight home is today, we had our Thanksgiving dinner last night. It's kind of nice actually, having the feast early, because it gives the illusion of having more time off. Instead of this whole day being eaten up with Thanksgiving prep, I've got the four full days to chill out.

It's always nice seeing Mamu - this time we talked about my upcoming semester abroad and traveling around Europe. He, Susan Auntie and Sara visited Madrid last month, and while he couldn't say much about the food (he's not the first) he said the city is great and that I'm going to enjoy it a lot. Yesterday evening we took a walk around the neighborhood and as we marveled at all the fall leaves, we talked about vacations and traveling. Since he's already seen so much of Europe, a lot of what he sees now just looks the same, he said. The best thing to do, he said, is to not over-plan and sometimes the best thing to do is just sit at a cafe, sipping your beer and taking in the city. Often times, it's those little experiences that you remember most about a trip, he said. And I totally believe that; after all, the first thing that comes to mind from my trip to Paris last spring was when Supraja and I wandered through the Jewish quarter eating delicious falafel.

It's sometimes funny to think that Mamu and Mom are siblings; he's so laid-back and carefree and Mom is such a worrier. Then again I'm a heck of a lot crazier than Neeraj. Oh well, there's family for you.

Anyways, after we got back from our walk, Mamu and I scoured the website of Europe's discount airline Ryan Air and found where all I could go from Madrid. The more and more I talk about next semester, the more exciting it gets. As we headed to the airport to drop Mamu off, Mom was talking about how January has got to be the most depressing month, since all the fun of the holidays is gone. I realized that my January will be a bit more exciting than most. It's kind of intimidating but still oh-so-exciting, especially because I know that if anything happens, well, Luxembourg is only a four hour flight away.

But I must not get ahead of myself. While Thanksgiving may be over, there's still the holiday season to enjoy (not to mention all those leftovers :) So even though the only chicken (turkeys are too big to cook), cranberry sauce and stuffing I'm getting tonight is the reheated version, I hope you all are enjoying yours! Happy Thanksgiving!