With the beginning of November here I have Thanksgiving on my mind.
Since Xan and I began dating Thanksgiving has become a really special holiday for us. For his family Thanksgiving is THE holiday. Usually around 20 people gather at his parents house which is nestled in an art community among the Appalachian Mountains. If you’ve never spent time in the Appalachians in the fall you’re truly missing out on something. The leaves epitomizing the colors of fall, the crisp cold refreshing air, and the sun streaming over the peaks of the Appalachian mountains in the morning while you sip warm coffee and take it all in. It makes me nostalgic just thinking about it. Once we got serious I spent every Thanksgiving there and those are some of my happiest memories from our relationship to date. All the best things in one long weekend: cozy sweaters, fires burning, creative cooking, a slow and intentional pace, quality time with people we love, and amazing conversations. It was always a time to unwind, truly rest and relax, and reflect on the many things we had to be grateful for. Heading back home to the flatlands we both felt content, refreshed, and filled up with love and happiness. My entertaining dream is to eventually host Thanksgivings and other occasions that are reflections of those times with a gaggle of our closest friends and family.
Since moving to San Francisco we’ve kind of made it a tradition to spend Thanksgiving here in the city instead of travelling. It started because we moved at the beginning of November. After driving across the country, travelling for our wedding and honeymoon, flying to San Francisco and hunting for a place to live, and packing up our house all in a matter of weeks we were ready to stay put for a bit. But, that didn’t deter us from celebrating our favorite holiday.
We both love the idea of taking what they’ve created and spreading it across the country until we can be with them again to celebrate. That first Thanksgiving it was just the two of us, married only two short months and we cooked a full Thanksgiving dinner. It was really intimate and special. Last year, our second Thanksgiving as a married couple, we had one additional guest. Xan’s cousin. There are a few pictures of the table set-up below. This year, we’re having four guests. Four! Our best friends from the city. And a very close friend that Xan grew up spending Thanksgiving with and her fiancée. They now live in LA and I love the idea that we’ll be celebrating here while her parents will likely be spending the holiday with his. I’m beyond excited and also glad I’ve had a couple years of practice rounds – even though at the time I was dying to have visitors.
As we start planning this year’s feast and day I can’t help but try and recreate Thanksgiving at my in-laws and try to capture that warm, content, no-where-in-the-world-I’d-rather-be feeling. They are natural and effortless entertainers which is part of what makes Thanksgiving at their home so magical. I’ll be keeping that spirit of sharing their home as we plan each detail this year. More to come!
