tomorrow is the first time i won't be spending thanksgiving with my family. it breaks my heart a little.
yesterday they called me from the car. they were making the annual trek from the west coast to visit family in idaho and utah.
they called because they wanted my opinion. my sister got caught driving with a friend before her six months of solo driving was up. something similar happened to me when i was younger, and being the first child, my parents had a pretty extreme response. they asked me to remind them of the punishment they had given me so they could be "fair" and give the same one to caity. i think i surprised them when i told them they shouldn't punish her. apparently everyone was on speaker phone and i earned some major sister points with caity.
the phone call from my family while on the road triggered a lot of memories for me.
every year we would do that. all seven of us squished into the mini van. with our game boy colors, our coloring books, and our mini tv that was hooked up to a VHS player. we started off with breakfast at mcdonald's and away we went. talking, fighting, stopping at every gas station along the way. only 12 hours until we were rolling into grandmas driveway, welcomed by cousins, aunts, uncles, and nikki, my grandma's poodle.
things are a little different now. first of all my mom drives some shiny futuristic car. the VHS player no longer needed, replaced by portable DVD players. i don't live at home. my brother kendall doesn't live at home. so now it is just the five of them, making the long drive from portland, instead of puyallup, to have thanksgiving at my aunts house instead of my grandmas.
it's weird how things change. sometimes it seems they change all at once. i won't be going home for christmas either. which is strange. in 23 days M and i will get on a plane that heads east instead of west.
i'm thankful we have people here in chicago that are slowly becoming our mid western family. tomorrow instead of spending the day solo, we have been invited to a glorious feast with friends we have come to know since moving to the windy city. so here is to changing. and learning how to be thankful for that change.
wishing you a very happy thanksgiving.
last thanksgiving was my first without going to my house. it was good actually, probably because i don't really like thanksgiving. however, whenever i have my first christmas at my house, some shiz will go down haha. hope you have a great thanksgiving.
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