The First Thanksgiving (In Washington, DC)
As everyone is well aware, this past week was Thanksgiving! Honestly, it’s my favorite holiday. You don’t have to worry about anything other than spending time with family, eating, and being thankful. How is that only a yearly activity?!
My wonderful parents and brother Joe were able to come up and spend the holiday with Matt and me! Because our apartment is the size of a modest hotel room, we decided to skip the cooking this year and opted for a delicious turkey dinner at The Old Ebbitt Grill, a storied old eatery next to the White House. It didn’t disappoint.
Mom, Joe and his good friend Dale.
Coffee and treats from Le Diplomate.
That DC Metro life.
Wound care on the red line.
Dad in front of St. Stephen’s church in Georgetown.
Male bonding at Georgetown Tobacco.
We spent time hanging out, playing games, eating, and visiting some of the sights and museums in DC. One highlight was going to the Holocaust museum the day after Thanksgiving. My father’s family was Jewish and many of my grandfather’s family members perished in concentration camps during World War II. Even if you don’t have a familial connection, the Holocaust museum is an incredibly moving experience.
The museum has a resource center that helps survivors’ family members find relatives and the names of those who were killed. My dad and I were able to find the list of all of his family members who were murdered. The list included his father (my grandfather) and aunt who were assumed dead but obviously were able to escape. It turned out the woman who was helping us is from the same little town in the Czech Republic that our family is from! Small world. We chatted with her about the synagogue in Prague and the city of Pilsen.
It got all of us talking about going to Europe and visiting the city my father’s family is from. We’ve been talking for years about going and we decided to finally pull a lever! This Christmas, my parents and Matt and I will be visiting Prague and Budapest. We can’t wait.
I was so glad my brother Joe was able to make the trip up as well. He hadn’t been to the city since we were kids and I think he enjoyed the sites of DC and especially the pasta at J. Paul’s in Georgetown!
I am thankful for so many new things this year. A new job, a new city, and so many opportunities on the horizon. But I’m also thankful for the things I (try to) thank God for everyday: my incredible family, my loving husband, my sweet puppy Bart, and a wonderful life full of love and laughter.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!