With the exception of last year, I’ve written a Thanksgiving post each year dating back to 2019 (when I wrote about 2019 and 2018). Like many Americans, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I like the food. I like the family. I like the four-day weekend. I like the feeling of fall weather. Because I’m not a shopper, black Friday is just another day for kicking back and relaxing. I like relaxing.
For many years, I would spend part of the long weekend playing one or two games of Civilization (a long and involved video game that can take hours if not days to complete). That habit (because it wasn’t really a tradition) died off when I got divorced. For many years, I went to my mother’s house for Thanksgiving, and before that it was at an aunt or uncle’s house, and before that it was at my grandparent’s house. My Thanksgivings have always been a mom and mom’s side of the family holiday. Also, for many years I would make it a point to open a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau – which is usually released a week or so before Thanksgiving. The wine is never any good, but traditions are fun.
These past few years – the traditions have, for me, been hard to keep up. In 2019, I was living in Memphis. In 2020, the world was in the throes of a pandemic. 2021 and 2022 were somewhat normal – mom’s house, Beaujolais, turkey. This year, I’m in a hotel in San Francisco hoping that the diner across the street (Mel’s) has a special turkey dish. Because I’ve been out of work, the four-day weekend isn’t very relevant. I think the video game thing was my way of being consumed by something other than work and the real world – so again, not terribly relevant. I stopped in two different bodegas/corner liquor stores and couldn’t find Beaujolais – so that one will fall/fade as well.
As “depressing” as spending Thanksgiving in a hotel room and eating what will probably be an open-faced turkey dinner at Mel’s Drive-In sounds, I’m pretty ambivalent about the experience. I would love to spend it with my family. I’d have welcomed a “friendsgiving” dinner like the one I was invited to in Memphis when I didn’t know anyone. But given the circumstances, I’m almost looking forward to (or at least embracing) the idea of solitude. In a few minutes, when I’m done with my morning coffee, I plan to head out towards the natural areas on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge and hike a few hours in the woods. And maybe that becomes a new tradition – spending time in nature on Thanksgiving (I actually think I may have gone for walks in parks in Bucks County these last two years – I remember taking the dog to my favorite park, Tyler).
Maybe I’ll feel different about the day a little later and add a sentence or two, but for now, I’ll hit publish and disconnect for a bit.
The hike (6.7 miles, 1660 ft. elevation gain, and a coastal trail to Muir Beach) was an amazing way to spend the day…
