This year I’m celebrating our American Thanksgiving Day with my brother and his family here in Amherst, New Hampshire. It will be good to be with family this Thanksgiving and to sit around the fireplace, sipping a hot drink and laughing out loud. I’m looking forward to it.
I’ve spent Thanksgiving in a lot of different places over the years. I’ve spent Thanksgiving in Key Largo and Grand Canyon, Stowe and New Orleans, West Virginia, St. Thomas and even in Japan. I’ve worked as many Thanksgivings as I’ve had off in my adult life. I’ve often found myself with 12 international guests on tour and in charge of sharing this wonderful day with people who’ve never celebrated it before. Cooking a Thanksgiving Dinner for 12 over an open campfire is quite a challenge, but a good one.
This year has been a difficult one and it’s important to remember how much we have to be thankful for. I’m thankful for family and friends both near and far. I’m thankful for my health. I’m incredibly thankful for the roof over my head, the food in my stomach and the clean water in my bottle knowing that there are so many who don’t have even that in this world. I’m thankful for all of the opportunities I’ve had in my life - both those which have worked out and those which haven’t. I don’t have much money in the bank, but I consider myself a very wealthy man for the experiences I’ve had, the places I’ve seen and the wonderful people I’ve met over the years. And in this space, I’m incredibly thankful for you, dear reader, for having stuck with this travel blog despite the fact that I’ve traveled less this year than at any point in the last 20 years. I’ll be back on the road as soon as it’s safe and responsible to do so.