Thanksgiving

I can almost smell the turkey roasting in thousands of ovens, the cloves that season the millions of pounds of stuffing, and the pumpkin pie that you must save room for. Sitting here in my cute townhouse in California, I close my eyes and pretend I am with my family in Canada- I can hear my nieces playing down the hall and the hockey game competing with all the other conversations. I ask Jimmy how is job is going as we make some silly comments back and forth to each other and feel sad that my mom looks so tired sitting on the couch. I finally get to meet Xander and snuggle him and his chubby cheeks and everyone is passing around Sariah as they meet her for the first time. Maybe I can finally help Christine with the meal this time as she cooks all these different meats, even though she is a vegetarian and has been since she was 13. She is such a good mother. Then Grandma and Dad come over and dad and I both apologize for not speaking to each other in months, how we both mean to call but never do. He will love Sariah when he meets her. 

Seven years ago when I moved down here, it was only to be for a "year or two". I thought I could make some money, get a tan, have an adventure then move back up to Vancouver and settle somewhere. Mom said "if you go, you will never come back! You will get married!!!!". I reassured her that I made it through Bible college and Nursing school without getting married and really, California is much closer than Winnipeg! That seemed to convince her to "let" me go as I packed up my life and Canada and moved to a different country.

Then I met Mark.

The love of my life, movie watching partner, travel companion, expert food maker, and best friend. Living anywhere seemed fine as long as I was with him..... and our life here has proven to be incredibly fruitful. I have paid off debt, made wonderful friends and now we have had our first child. We are happy.

But I always miss home.  

I missed home when I moved myself to Winnipeg and spent four years in the snow, skating on the river, tobogganing down every hill we could find and battling millions of mosquitoes in the summer time.

 

I missed home when I was in Churchill- cramming a 4 month practicum into 3 months and living in the most extreme conditions I had ever known. Snow up to the rooftops, sun never setting, northern lights dancing, polar bears lurking, and tunnels connecting the town. 

I missed home when I moved to Liverpool- experiencing Northern England's finest and taking the most interesting course imaginable. Making friends from all over the world and hopping on planes to Ireland, Spain, France and Italy. 

I miss home everyday, when I check Facebook, browse Canada.com or hear from a friend. "Look, that was filmed in Vancouver, I KNOW it!" I often say to Mark when we are watching a movie and make him stay till the very end of the credits to prove I am right. 

But it's these occasions, when I know everyone is gathering together and I am not there, that are the hardest. 

I love Canada, I love Vancouver and I love love love my family. 

Another year here and another Thanksgiving missed, maybe next year I will be in the noisy living room competing with the hockey game to have a conversation with Jimmy.