Sea Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving from the Southeast Pacific!

The past few days I have been kind of down. It sunk in that I will not be spending Thanksgiving with any of my loved ones. Every Thanksgiving I have either spent with my family, or with Mitch and his family. It has been hard realizing this would not be the case this year. When I signed up to come, I knew I would be gone for the holiday, but talking about it is much different than experiencing it. I hadn't really thought about the implications until the time actually got here and I was already in the middle of the ocean. I think this is forcing me to grow up a little bit and be even more of an independent person. I do think I should caveat this with the fact that I have made some really good friends on the boat. And if I had to spend Thanksgiving with a group of strangers from around the country, I probably wouldn't choose anyone else. Well, I might make a few substitutions ;-).

I should start this next story with the preface that I LOVE BEER. My friends all know this about me. I love good beer. It has been one of the three things I have missed the most (ask me what the others are if you are curious). But, last night we got some excellent news which raised my spirits a great deal. The crew is providing us with beer for Thanksgiving dinner tonight!! How cool is that? I do think that wine would go better with dinner, but I love beer. One of the crew members commented that it would be like a redneck Thanksgiving. I told him that I wouldn't have it any other way.

This holiday has made me realize how important my friends and family are to me. I am thankful for them and their love. I am thankful for Mitch, and the love we share. I am thankful for my health. I am thankful for the education and wisdom I have received over the years. I am thankful for this experience of getting to be a part of VOCALS-Rex. I am thankful for the beer I will drink at dinner. Most of all I am thankful for life.

Take this day and let those around you know you love them. I think that love is the one emotion that makes us human and connects each of us on a level beyond the material world. Love is love, no matter who shares it.




Happy Thanksgiving,
Jake