Happy Thanksgiving!

Dinner!
Photo by Steve Voght

As an American expat, Thanksgiving is the one holiday which tends to make me a bit homesick. The gathering of friends and family and having a great time over a huge turkey dinner is wonderful and Thanksgiving is a uniquely American (and Canadian) holiday; moreso, I would argue, than the 4th of July as many cultures celebrate some form of independence day. A few other countries celebrate Thanksgiving, but it's not quite the same thing.

My wife will be driving around Paris today, handling last-minute errands before tonight's dinner. It will be a traditional Thanksgiving meal and for some of the French who will be there, it will be their first Thanksgiving. For me, it will be a small chance to reconnect with my culture. I'm happy here in Europe, but culturally I'm still an American.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from Overseas Exile.