The last Thanksgiving

Don't let the title of this post scare you. Thanksgiving is not going to end. There are a lot of scary things Donald Trump has threatened to do, but outlawing turkey dinner is not one of them.

We had a great party on Thursday - 8 kilos (17+lbs) of fresh turkey from the farmers' market and probably the largest quantity of food I've ever produced from our sparsely-equipped kitchen. There were 15 adults, a toddler and and an infant at this year' friendsgiving. There were a couple of last-minute guests and four languages spoken during our meal. Every plate, fork and pan we own was in use. We didn't have enough chairs, so some of us sat Central Asian-style on the floor. I got to explain what goes into stuffing and what those tart red berries are called. I made my own gravy for the first time. And with only two other Americans present (one is a vegetarian and the other is married to me), nobody was comparing the gravy or sweet potatoes to their grandma's. As I put everything together following my recipes for a Hannover Thanksgiving from years past (sorry, no Lithuanian folk dancers this time), I wondered what we''ll be doing for Thanksgiving next year.

This Hannover Thanksgiving, number six, was our last. Brian and I are moving back to Saint Paul next summer. Like any important decision it's mostly exciting, a little bit scary, somehow liberating, and full of unknowns. Fresh starts only happen when something else comes to a close, and so it will be with our years in Hannover. I suppose it will be the same with this blog. With over five years of posts behind me, I think I can hang in there and keep writing until summer time. I'm sure you'll all be fascinated to read about how they move all the stuff down five flights of stairs and about who gets to keep my Ikea coffee table.

Some people have asked why we decided to leave Germany, and some haven't. Maybe those who didn't ask just thought it was always coming, or maybe they don't care. But since you didn't ask, I will tell you anyway. There wasn't only one reason - it was about having meaningful work and being part of a neighborhood and being able to visit family and coaching and yes, a little bit about the backyard. It was getting weary of feeling foreign. It was the need to be involved in the place we are from, and not just watch from the outside.

I've just been reading posts from Hannover Thanksgivings past and I'm a bit nostalgic. One of the things we will give up when we leave here is making Thanksgiving our very own holiday, something unique that we can offer to our international group of friends. After a few years, it has become a tradition for them too, though I don't know if anybody will attempt cooking a 8 kilo turkey after we're gone. Next year, I won't need to explain to anyone why I'm not going to work on the fourth Thursday in November, or why I am buying huge amounts of potatoes. Everybody will know because they will be celebrating too. And I will be thankful, to be with family and to know how far I have come in the last six years.  I will, however, have to make sure that my gravy is up to snuff. There will be way more competition.