Turkey Day

I know it's hard to believe, but Thanksgiving isn't quite as big of a deal in Europe as it is in the U.S. First of all, I had to work today. And I have to work tomorrow. Second, there is no "American" football on television (not that I have a television on which to watch said football). And finally, there is no feast of turkey and trimmings (in fact, it is nearly impossible to find a turkey here, at least this time of year). As such, my Thanksgiving lunch today consisted of pre-packaged turkey lunchmeat (I didn't even have bread to make a sandwich) and paprika-flavored tortilla chips. Mmmmm.

I didn't think dinner was going to be much better until I was invited over to the apartment of my Bostonian friends. And while it was a world better than my lunch, it was still not the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Again, it is hard to find a turkey around here, so they had cooked some turkey cutlets with cranberry sauce, roasted new potatoes, a zucchini/onion/walnut concoction (that was actually very good), and cornbread. I was able to contribute a bottle of Luxembourg Pinot Noir to round out the meal and dessert was roasted apples with ice cream. Not too bad, though I am going to do my best to put together a little more complete/traditional meal at some point this weekend (at a borrowed kitchen as I won't have my kitchen supplies until my goods arrive on Monday). Considering my cooking skills (or lack thereof), it could be an interesting experiment.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted to list a few things that I am thankful for this year:

1. A family who supported my decision to move overseas, whether they really liked the idea or not.

2. U.S. friends and co-workers who also supported my move and have continued to check up on me as I have transitioned to my new situation.

3. New friends and co-workers who have taken me under their wing, introduced me to people in Luxembourg, shown me around town, invited me out for dinners and drinks and generally ensured that my experience here is a good one.

4. PricewaterhouseCoopers for giving me the opportunity to have a pretty kick-ass life experience.

5. My health (and the health of my family/friends).

6. Military personnel (and their families) for all the sacrifices they make for millions of strangers.

And finally, I will be really thankful when the movers arrive on Monday with a truck full of stuff, much of which has very little value to anyone else, but which seems more and more valuable to me every day.

Happy Thanksgiving!