Have A Wonderful Thanksgiving!
Although I’m no longer in the USA, this is my first Thanksgiving as an American so I wanted to share a few words.
I never celebrated Thanksgiving before I moved to the USA, but over the years I’ve come to really enjoy and look forward to this holiday. For me it’s never been about turkey, or cranberry sauce or sweet potato casserole (although I do enjoy them all!), but rather about family, those we love, the experiences we share, and giving thanks for it all.
When I first started this blog ~9 years and ~1,200 blog posts ago we celebrated Thanksgiving in the RV with Paul’s family in Miami. Since then we’ve celebrated many more in the beautiful SW desert, sharing our day with dear friends that we would likely never have met if we hadn’t gone on the road. They are all incredible memories and I’m deeply thankful for them all.
This year I’m in France with dad (Paul is home in Miami) and it’s a different time and different place, but no less special. We’re here, we’re healthy, the paws are with us and we’re surrounded by beautiful nature and love. I feel both incredibly lucky and incredibly thankful that I’m able to experience that.
And of course there’s you lot. This blog would not exist it without you, my readers, and I’m truly thankful for each and every one of you that has followed us and continues to follow us as we take our travels around Europe. Here’s hoping YOUR day is filled with beauty and love, no matter what you’re doing or where you are. From my heart to yours, I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Always enjoy reading your blog . Adventures in Europe will be most interesting. Best wishes on this very American holiday. happy Thanksgiving to you.
Thank you! Nina
Happy Thanksgiving Nina (and Paul and Paws, especially sweet Polly). We’re thankful to count you as friends.
We are VERY thankful to count you as friends too. Our love to Dave and handsome Lew.
Nina
Happy Thanksgiving!
To you too Bob! Very thankful to count you as long-standing RV friends. Michigan still holds a special place in our hearts thanks to you.
Nina
Happy USA Thanksgiving to you and your family. Alan & I have always have enjoyed following you blog and the few visits that we have had. Meet your in Eugene Oregon a number of years ago.
Best!
Ahhh, Oregon. You bring back sooo many good memories. Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
Nina
Happy Thanksgiving Nina, and of course Paul and the Paws! I am Thankful and Grateful to you all for sharing your RV life and experiences. The France (Europe) adventures and experiences to come keep us tuned, but they have been amazing so far. May you Gobble, Gobble, American style today and give thanks for all you do for us your loyal followers! Hugs from FL! Ron
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Thank you. To you too. Nina
Happy Thanksgiving!
Whether you are here or there you can always celebrate Thanksgiving.
To the entire gang Happy Thanksgiving.
Be Safe and Enjoy!
It’s about time.
Happy Thanksgiving, Nina, hope your able to enjoy great food, and comfortable weather. I am grateful to you for your blog. Can’t wait to see where you will go with your new RV.
It is gorgeous weather right now here in France. Cool, clear, sunny & beautiful. It gets chilly at night, but that’s allowed us to test the insulation on the new RV (it’s good!).
Nina
Happy Thanksgiving, Nina, Paul your families and the paws.
We, too have so much to be thankful for. I can’t thank you enough for your wonderful blog and the time and effort you give to sharing your insight and experience in such a public way, on your blog, with the world. I am grateful for many things and the RV community is one of them due to the many people we’ve met, in person, via blog or social media, like yourself, that make all the difference.
Cheers!
Lisa.
Thank you for the lovely comment! I so agree on how amazing the RV community is. We’ve met so many folks that I know will be lifelong friends.
Nina
Thank you for your holiday greetings. I very much enjoy your blog and wish you and your hubby and paws a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving. May GOD bless.
Thank you so much, and the same to you!
Nina
Happy Thanksgiving,
We will be staying at one of your recommended spots for the Christmas holidays. Sams Family Hot Springs. Looking forward to all the soaking. Glad to hear you are enjoying France and all it has to offer, better still you are able to be with your Dad.
Jim and Liru
Oh how wonderful!! I hope you enjoy Sam’s as much as we have over the years. I could totally go for some hot-tubbing right now! Such great memories.
Nina
Nicely said and we wish you a happy Thanksgiving too. We’ve always enjoyed your blog. It’s filled with interesting information and we always look forward to it.
Thank you Randy and Pam! And Happy Thanksgiving to you too.
Nina
Just a small correction, if I may. Thanksgiving isn’t uniquely American. We Canadians celebrate it, too – roughly 5 weeks sooner – on the second Monday in October. Families gather over turkey dinners to express gratitude for the year’s harvest and other bounties.
But, we haven’t (yet, at least) made the weekend about anything else (like football, parades, shopping, or an official start to Christmas). Not that we’re above all that – we’ve got our own Black Friday and Cyber Monday now too. Retailers couldn’t let the Americans keep that to themselves! But it coincides with your (American) Thanksgiving and not ours. So, that’s just one extra thing that I’m thankful for! 🙂
Not sure about France but I know they have harvest festivals in parts of Europe. The origins of those are probably similar, no?
Happy Thanksgiving to you and Paul, too.
Oh yes, what a brain-fart. Canadian Thanksgiving!! I totally forgot that you celebrate that in October. Thank you for the reminder. I’ve removed the US only reference from the post.
And no Thanksgiving here in EU, but as you mentioned there are many harvest festivals in fall that celebrate the end of summer & a fruitful harvest.
Nina
Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family! So much to be grateful for every day.
Very true Jodee. Sometimes it’s easy to forget our blessings, especially when times are tough, but they are always there.
Nina
Happy Thanksgiving! Your blog is a longtime favorite. Thank you for all the great information you share.
Thank you JoanneG! Happy Thanksgiving to you too.
Nina
Happy Thanksgiving to you from another ex-pat who happily celebrates the day. What a brilliant photo you posted. Where was it taken?
Just returned from a visit to Holland where, to my shock, I saw many signs for “Black Friday” sales. Whaaaaa?!?! Apropos of nothing but copying the US. Crazy. Has that hit France also?
Thanks for your excellent blog. Beautifully written, exquisite photography and excellent information. Can’t get much better than that.
The photo was taken from our house (we have a wonderful view here). And YES!!! I’m with you on the Black Friday thing. I had NO idea they did that in EU, but it’s all over the place here in France. Literally every shop has a “black friday” deal here. That’s definitely something that’s changed since last time we lived here.
Nina
Hope you had a wonderful holiday. We spent ours back in the Midwest with family, the first time in a few years. Even though the world often seems a crazy place, there is still much to be thankful for, particularly treasured friends, like the two of you. Hugs!
Very true. And we can only control what’s in our grasp. Being thankful helps remind us of that.
Nina
Ps Canada has thanksgiving as well it’s just earlier in the year. As winter comes sooner. It comes as a wrap up to harvest time.
Yes you are absolutely right, and that’s a total brain fart on my part! I’ve removed the American only reference from the post. The history of Canadian thanksgiving is a bit different, as I understand it, having nothing to do with the pilgrims in Plymouth (as the US one is based on), but rather being a more traditional harvest festival. We do have similar festivals here in Europe.
Nina
Happy Thanksgiving yesterday (the 22nd) was not only Thanksgiving it was my wife Shelia’s Birthday. It falls on Thanksgiving every once in a while.
How ever for her it is bitter sweet it was also the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated she was 14 at the time and like all teenage girls she was in love with President Kennedy. So on her Birthday the assassination is talked about. There are times it tugs at my heart to see her hurt on her special day..
Oh dear. Yes that’s a tough memory to have on your special day. Happy Bday to her. By the way I’m a week later than your wife, so my bday often falls right near Thanksgiving too.
Nina
Happy Thanksgiving. We have followed you since 2012. We feel like you are family. We hope only the best for you in 2019 and in Europe.
Thank you so much for following along! We feel like our blog readers are family too!
Nina
Cheers to you, Paul and Polly on this day of giving thanks. We are also thankful for blazing the RVng path for us.
Well you ARE the experts and inspiration now. I love how many friends we’ve inspired on the road, that now inspire others in their turn. It’s a wonderful thing!
Nina
It is through our relationships, whether in person or across the invisible that our lives are enhanced. I am grateful to have discovered you a number of years ago. Thanks for all that you share and Happy Thanksgiving to you, Paul, your families and the fur kids!