giving thanks

what. a. year. 

i expected there to be some bumps along the road as we transitioned back to life in the States, but as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving here for the first time in three years, i've been blindsided by how much i actually will miss Thanksgiving at the NAC. that place really knows how to celebrate a feast in every sense of the word: emotional, spiritual, and gastronomical! the entire day was filled with purpose, from the sunrise Turkey Trot around Vatican City to an incredibly gorgeous liturgy to the gourmet meal, and necessary leisure time in the afternoon. moreover, our first Thanksgiving in Rome fell on St. Cecilia's feast day, and so that evening, we walked down to the Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere to hear none other than the Sistine Chapel Choir sing for mass. as we walked back up the Gianicolo hill, Nick and i marveled at what incredible memories we were making.

Thanksgiving 2018:

Thanksgiving 2019:

napkins shaped like bishops' miters in honor of the Ad Limina visits

Altoona's own Bishop Bartchak, showing the girls his pectoral cross

remembering these experiences is especially bittersweet this year. the hardest part of being away on Thanksgiving was, of course, being apart from family. our Thanksgiving celebrations over the years have been a joyful time to gather with family, whether that be in Washington or Pennsylvania, in our own dining room or that of our parents. in 2013, Thanksgiving fell the day after Greta was born, and in 2016, it came just a few weeks after Cecilia was born, so our Thanksgiving meal was simple (and prepped mostly or entirely by my mom!) but even more poignant. 

Thanksgiving 2005 (in Ireland!):

Thanksgiving 2010 (at Camano Island, WA):

ping pong in the garage: a Geiger family tradition

 

Thanksgiving 2011 (my first turkey - in Pittsburgh):

Thanksgiving 2013:

Thanksgiving 2016:

Thanksgiving 2017:

so i'm missing not just Thanksgiving in Rome, but Thanksgiving in pre-pandemic America -- as i know everyone must be. and yet, as i sit in the aching embrace of nostalgia, there are still many things for which to give thanks. we are so grateful for God's timing in bringing us to Rome when He did, and also in nudging us to come home this year (a decision we made prior to knowing about Covid). even though we still aren't able to see family and friends as much as we had envisioned, it's far easier to coordinate conversations without such a significant time difference, and we're grateful for the people we have been able to see. the girls are flourishing in their respective schools. my own experience with Covid in August was mild, and the rest of the family stayed healthy. i am still overcome with joy every single time i use my American washer and dryer. 

this week, even though our gathering will be small, i'm soaking up the comforting rituals of being back home: filling up the back of my SUV with a turkey, French's fried onions, whole cranberries, cream of mushroom soup, and white peppermint mocha coffee creamer, and then storing all the perishables in our second refrigerator in the garage (so unabashedly American!); digging out the roasting pan from the basement; washing the china; and re-working my trusty Thanksgiving dinner timeline to make sure everything makes it to the table piping hot. 

we'll carry some traditions from the NAC forward with us, too. i plan to run my own solo turkey trot in last year's fluorescent orange shirt, and i'm going to add pumpkin ravioli to our Thanksgiving dinner menu from henceforth and ever more. in fact, this afternoon i had to laugh at the inevitable compare-and-contrast with Italian life as i set forth on my quest to find such ravioli (pre-made -- i'm not that ambitious yet). it was advertised as being available in the fresh pasta section of the gargantuan Giant Eagle Market District, but alas, there was no pumpkin ravioli to be found when i went in search of it today with Cecilia. a quick Google search revealed that it was reputed to be in stock at the Fresh Market, a 25-minute drive away, and i would have just enough time to make it there and back before Greta got off the school bus this afternoon. so Cecilia and i made the mad dash, and after scouring the store, finally, in the last corner, discovered the last three boxes of the stuff (purportedly Made in Italy! i'm skeptical, but i'll take it!). we made it home about five minutes before Greta alighted from the bus, and i had to laugh: even this "mad dash" required me just to drive longer than i had anticipated, whereas a similar search in Rome would likely have involved traveling on multiple buses, at least a mile walk, and probably multiple inexplicable store closures. 

so yes, there are many things for which to be thankful.  this year, we may not have a champagne toast while close to three hundred people sing "America, the Beautiful", but we have each other. and, ultimately -- che basta. that is enough. 

(p.s. yes. cecilia is apparently chewing on a wine glass while her mother apparently doesn't care. i promise no babies or wine glasses were harmed in the making of this video! 😂)