Canadian Thanksgiving (With Alpaca Instead of Turkey)

Machu Picchu, Peru

I have had so few Thanksgivings in Canada in the past ten years; I remember one year in particular, when I had a lovely picnic with my good friend Ali in Osaka. To some, Thanksgiving doesn’t really mean that much, just a chance to eat great food and get a day off, but I’ve always loved the holiday – to me, the day is all about family. I am currently in Cusco, Peru, and while it is beautiful and I’m having a great time, relaxing after all of the excitement of Machu Picchu – I’d rather be in Canada, with my family. I miss them every day.

But Thanksgiving is not for sadness – it is for thanks. And this year, like every year, I have so much to be thankful for. I am thankful for the world around me, and for the fortune of being able to explore it as much as I want. I am thankful for my health and the health of those I love. I am thankful for all the simple pleasures I get out of life, great movies and great laughs and great glasses of wine. I am thankful for being happy and free every single day. I am thankful for all of the incredible comments, messages, and emails of support I get from readers of this blog, and for the fact that I have readers at all. I am thankful for all of the amazing people that have come into my life in the past few years: Tom, Alex, Ali, Ella, Aidy, Henry, Ross, Claire, Natalie, Bill, Paul, Kim, Craig, Erin, Sarah, Chris, Trish, Lena, Lukas, Kisha, Mika, Jenny, Louise, Hannah, Colleen, Nick, and so many more. I am so thankful for all those who have been in my life for years, and who will be there forever: Kerri, Rikki, Meaghan, Sarah, Laura, Kavitha. And, of course, I am thankful for my family, without whom none of my travels, nor my life at all, would be possible: Mum, Dad, Zalie, and Kitt. Every single day I am thankful for this life and for these loved ones.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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