On Trots and Traditions

Holidays.  Got to love them.  Generally they’re filled with traditions, family, and of course food.  Holidays for me have been a little different for the last few years, though.  While there are traditions mixed in here and there, for the most part the only constant in holidays for the last few years has been, well, me.  Let’s take a look at Christmases/Christmas Vacations since 2004, shall we?

2004 – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2005 – Bellevue, WA, USA
2006 – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

2007 – Yakima, WA, USA

2008 – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2009 – Hillsboro, OR, USA

2010 – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

2011 – Orlando, FL, USA

2012 – Melbourne, Australia

Even in the places that were repeated, it was in a different house or hotel.  And then there are Thanksgivings, which were a bit more consistent for a while there:

2005 – Bloomington, IL, USA

2006 – Peoria, IL, USA

2007 – Parkersburg, WV, USA

2008 – Parkersburg, WV, USA

2009 – Hillsboro, OR, USA

2010 – Hillsboro, OR, USA

2011 – Bellevue, WA, USA

2012 – Chiang Mai, Thailand

After the 2008 Turkey Trot

This is the life of a TCK.  Once you leave your host country, your live is generally a whirlwind of adjustment, forging new trails and creating new traditions.  If you’re someone like me, though, those new traditions consist of no traditions, at least not in the traditional sense of the word.  My traditions involve people, games, phone calls, and a hint of loneliness here and there.

Last night in Chengdu, I played spoons with some new Chinese friends, teaching them the ropes of the game and repeating phrases with them as we worked on pronunciation and meaning.  It was fantastic.  This morning I walked a Turkey Trot and enjoyed the time with some new friends.  That was also fantastic.  But now, as I reflect on the events of the day, my mind is back at a different time on a different continent.  My fellow TCK friends (well, we are more like family) from high school and I used to get together for Thanksgiving.  We would play games (usually extreme spoons which involved taking the spoons outside and putting them on something frozen) and laugh until our sides hurt, all the while enjoying a delicious cup of chai that was like a little taste of home for us on a far from home continent.  And then, inevitably, they would drag me to the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.  I would protest, but secretly I loved the time with friends.

How did my traditions follow me, but the people did not?  That’s okay…that’s why God created Facebook :)

Location: Chengdu, China

Local Time (CST -- GMT+8): 10:43 a.m. (11/17/2012)

Auburn Time (PST -- GMT-7): 6:43 p.m. (11/16/2012)