The Thanksgiving day journey

Thanksgiving is a time when families close and distant rejoice in their good fortune. Our normal schedules are halted and we prepare for reunification. As a family we not only get a chance to intensify the depth of our bonds but to strengthen the foundation upon which they are built; in doing so we gain insight about each others lives. However is it truly necessary to stay stationary upon such a day? Unlike the millions of families in America who sit down to enjoy thanksgiving my family and I went on a journey to St. Augustine.

The two-hour venture from Orlando to St. Augustine was spent munching on snacks and engaging one another in talks about childhood memories. For example, my grandparents talked about the time I was in the midst of devouring a whole jar of salt at their house. They also shared insight on my mom. How she was very active or how she played volleyball in her youth. My grandmother and mother traded curry recipes while my grandfather and father conversed on recent events and politics. My brother and I sat in the back admiring the scenery. He was very excited to see St. Augustine  and almost “lost his marbles” when my mom told him about the beach and tour train.

As we arrived at St. Augustine we were greeted my an impressive structure. When we got closer we realized it was a fort. To be exact, it was the Castillo De San Marcos national monument. As a family we explored the perimeter of the monument and posed for pictures. Later we visited Vilano beach. At the beach we collected sea shells and soaked in the water. After getting cleaned up we had our thanksgiving day feast there. However, being culturally diverse, we ate yellow rice with a variety of curries and salad instead of the traditional turkey. We talked to each other and gave thanks for this amazing day. Later we packed up and headed home. On our way back I realized that being with your family deserves as much praise as having one.

A Slice of Thanksgiving in a Brown Household

*Two days before Thanksgiving*

   Around 2 o’clock in the afternoon, my sister and I gathered around the dinning table to make a list of all the ingredients that was needed for our Thanksgiving Dinner. The menu of our Thanksgiving dinner this year was: chicken (as our turkey since our family isn’t a huge fan of turkey), chicken wings, meatballs, spinach rolls, shrimp, corn, baked beans, and cranberry sauce. We took out all the recipes papers that my sister printed out and started writing the ingredients that we were missing. Around 6 o’clock in the evening, we went grocery shopping. After we bought everything that was needed, we headed home and planned out how our dinner would be like.

*Thanksgiving Day*

I woke up to the sound of my sister’s voice telling me to wake up to help her make our Thanksgiving dinner. So I got up out of the bed and brushed my teeth. I headed to the kitchen to prepare everything. Each of the Hossain family members had a task: my brother was in charge of grilling the chicken wings and the baked beans, my sister-in-law was in charge of the shrimp and my mom, my sister, and I were in charge of the meatballs and spinach rolls.

After all the meals were cooked, it was 8 o’clock, it was time for us to eat and we eat dinner later than a normal family. We placed the meals on the table when my sister realized we didn’t even buy the main chicken for dinner and my mom tells her it’s okay that we forgot, we already have too much food. So we gathered around the table ate till our stomachs were about explode.

That’s how Thanksgiving went for the Hossain household!

Photo source: phone photos