Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a bit different in Bulgaria.  This is mainly because it is not a holiday here.  Schools and work are open, and daily life continues uninterrupted.  (There is also no Black Friday tomorrow.)  While we prepared a feast, the rest of Bulgaria just went about its business.

It was a great day for us though.  After dropping Sophie off at school, we started cooking.  Okay, Sasha started cooking.  I just did stuff like pealing potatoes, boiling water, and washing dishes for Sasha to use while preparing the next dish.

This was the first time we did everything ourselves.  Every other Thanksgiving celebration we have attended or hosted has been the kind where everyone brings a dish or two and the hostess makes the turkey.  Not this time though.  This year we were almost alone.  The only guests we had were Baba and Diado (Grandma and Grandpa), and as they were coming from Kostenets by train, it was impractical for them to bring anything.  We bought the bread, but the rest was made from scratch.

It was a great meal.  We really enjoyed ourselves.  My father-in-law quickly learned the joys of gravy, and this was the first year any of our girls actually looked forward to the turkey.  After dinner, I helped Sophie with her homework (remember, it's no holiday in Bulgaria), and Sasha cleaned the table to make way for pie.  After Baba and Diado left, we broke out Small World, and played a couple games.

Thanksgiving is great!

Today is also a landmark day for me.  It is the longest I have been out of the U.S. in one stretch.  True, we have been living overseas for 6 years now, but I always had a reason to go back for a bit every now and then.  Today I broke my previous record of time away.  There are things I miss in America, but I also love it here.  Besides, I have a beautiful wife who has embraced America and its culture.  I feel at home wherever I am in the world as long as she is with me.