Option #1: Run for President of Germany and once I gain power I make Thanksgiving an official holiday here. Problem with this is it will take wayyyyyy to long. I could be home for next Thanksgiving before I would even have German citizenship. Input (many years and many Euros spent to get German citizenship and then elected to President) does not equal output (Thanksgiving celebrated in Germany). Therefore, option #1 is a no-go.
Option #2: Fly home for Thanksgiving. This is almost possible, and certainly more realistic than option #1 for sure. BUT, have you looked at airline tickets recently? They are scary expensive. Like waking-up-with-night-sweats-the week-before-your-credit-card-bill-is-due scary. Input ($1500 roundtrip, yes I considered this for 0.5 seconds) almost equals output (a couple days at home with, most likely, increased homesickness upon my return to Germany).
Option #3: Bring Thanksgiving (unofficially) to Germany. Definitely the most realistic of all my options. My supermarket research, combined with the somewhat picky eating habits of J & L left me a little discouraged. I have looked and looked and have been unable to find a turkey. Whole, frozen, cooked, ground, pieces, nothing. So I was thinking I could just get a rotisserie chicken, that's pretty similar, right? I love green beans and I find green bean casserole to be a Thanksgiving staple, but I'm not going to even waste my time making it because I know for a fact that J & L will take one look at it and then laugh in my face. I can hear it now; "You expect us to eat that?! Yeah, right."(But in German, duh.) They do, however eat spinach. Surprising, I know. So I'll sacrifice one traditional side dish for a crowd pleaser. But I will make mashed potatoes and gravy. You can't stop me. And I am going to make a pie. (Wish me luck on this; my first baking attempt in Germany didn't go so well...). Will the boys eat it? Probably not. I don't care though. I want Thanksgiving, darn it! And that means pecan pie. Input (a few hours spent cooking) definitely equals output (a quasi-Thanksgiving with my quasi-family). We have a winner!
I know I might be making a bigger deal out of missing Thanksgiving than is probably necessary. As my brother kindly reminded me, this year will be my second Thanksgiving that I have missed in my whole life while it is the first time he has been able to go in the past 4 or 5 years. My brother wasn't the only one with wise words; my mom pointed out that though I am missing the holidays this year, I am getting to spend a year living in Europe, something that few people will ever get the chance to do! (Except for Europeans; they live here). So yes I am a little bummed that I don't get to spend the day with my big, crazy family, but I'm not going to spend the next month being sad because I'm missing them; I'll see them soon enough. I am thankful for my wonderful, supportive family and friends and for the wonderful opportunity I have been given. This is the time I get to spend growing, exploring, and learning not only about Europe, but myself as well.
Happy Thanksgiving!
P.S. If you are reading this, please eat some turkey for me!
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