Thanksgiving... A Little Early

A few years ago I made a huge, somewhat spontaneous decision, to move from the South Shore to Watertown and live in an apartment with three other girls that I met on Craigslist. I had hit a wall in my personal life and felt so stuck. Looking back it was a crazy idea, giving up a pretty secure job (even though I had been pink slipped with tenure...but that's another story) and a relatively affordable apartment to move somewhere where I didn't know anyone. The move could not have played out any better if I tried. In the end that one decision changed my life forever.

I ended up finding amazing friends and wound up in a great relationship with a great person. One of the great things about this new group is how close they still are, post college. I had a pretty close group of friends from college but we have spread out all over the country since graduation. One of my favorite parts of being in this new group are the yearly traditions.... Oktoberfest, Thanksgiving, and Meat Fest. At least three times a year the entire group gathers together and I know how lucky I am to be part of it.

This past weekend we celebrated our Thanksgiving. JO and I hosted the event at our apartment and it was so much fun. I loved watching JO measure out the kitchen, bargain shop for folding chairs, and prepare the turkey. He gets really excited to be the host and he wants to do right by his friends.

In the end we had 21 people at a big long table and more food then we could possibly ever need. Almost every year there is a slight panic over whether or not we will have enough food which almost always results in over shopping. Last year it was the 20 pounds of potatoes we prepared and the two turkeys that got cooked. This year it was the two emergency pies and the ridiculous amount of beer that we got.

We've been eating leftovers since Sunday but you wouldn't know if by looking in the fridge. Thank goodness today is a Guys Night Out, a weekly tradition for the guys in the group, so that a dent can be put in the beverages. I am going to have to insist that any guy in attendance tonight drinks 3-4 beers at minimum :-)

It is so special to me to be able to say that I am a part of a group that works so hard to stay connected. I know how lucky I am and was thrilled to be able to help JO host such a great evening. My big contribution to the event was the wine bar I set up in the living room. (It didn't hurt that my Huskies beat Notre Dame in double overtime on National tv!!!) I remember what it was like to live in the "woods" and feel like your friends were so far away. I can't believe how much my life has changed in the past three and a half years.