I am officially back from my very fun, very warm, very twangy Thanksgiving break with my aunt and uncle in Dallas.
So, not going to lie, I was a tad bit nervous going. Think about it, I'm hoping on a plane to visit my aunt and uncle, without any other family. No cousins, they are like me and live all over and will be visiting for Christmas, so they can't afford two trips so soon. It's a new city that I don't know, a completely different state at that. And growing up I only got to see them every now and then, at a holiday function, wedding, and occasional summer trip. We aren't like "The Modern Family" where everyone sees each other everyday or even on a regular basis. I had gotten to know my cousins better, naturally, as I'm the same age as one and only 2 years younger than the oldest.
Yeah, so you know, yeah this could be maybe, weird. A little bit.
So...there's that.
But I wanted to get out of Carbondale super badly and it was only an hour and half flight so I hopped on that plane and said, "Here goes nothing."
It was way better than I thought.
We watched movies, went to the Arboretum, the Dallas World Aquarium, went to downtown Dallas, ate way too much Thanksgiving food and played with the dogs. If being an only child is like that, man, I am so bummed I have siblings! (kidding, I love you poop-heads) We talked about traveling and all the places we have been. They told me how I need to go to Germany and that the wine tours in the south of France are the best they've ever been on. And I talked about how Switzerland is the land of milk and money and that the chocolate is heavenly. We talked a lot about our own family a lot. A lot, a lot. They taught me how to drink wine (not just drink it but really taste it and appreciate it) and that watching 3 movies in a row is totally fine when you're on vacation. I also learned that my uncle makes a pretty dang good gin and tonic. Like way better than any I have had at the bars around here. It was always warm (even if it got a little chilly at night for them...babies) and super sunny, you always needed sunglasses, it got to be 70, and I had left Illinois in the snow, literally, and there is a ton of concrete everywhere (nothing else can handle the heat), they drive like insane people and texting isn't outlawed yet so they go like 85 and text (super scary!) and they have pretty cool bar scene that's hip and cool but totally throws me off when our hipster waiter talks with an accent. What was I thinking, going to Dallas for break? Sounds down right awful...
#jk
My uncle and dad are brothers and it is painstakingly clear that this is the case. They walk the same, talk the same, make the same silly jokes, curse like sailors, I could keep the list going. Think of Chandler Bing and that's pretty much who they are.
Sarcastic and goofy and a whole lotta of feigned expressions of "I'll try to care...and yep, sorry, it's gone." moments
And they obviously married very similar women. Clean, orderly, list-making, kinda bossy(ok yeah, bossy), but very motherly so a lot of the dynamics are almost verbatim what my parents say/do. For instance, we were walking around the Arboretum but then we finished too early for my aunt's plans.
Aunt: "Well maybe we should walk around some more? I didn't think we would go so fast! It's too early for the next activity but we have so much time to kill!"
Uncle:"We can do whatever, I just don't want to walk and see any more trees."
Aunt: "Oh come on! We can sit and just chat, get some coffee, maybe go to a cafe.."(more harmless fussing)
Uncle: *Eyeroll* "Whatever you want to do."
Aunt: "No- don't sound so enthusiastic, dear...*slightly passive aggressive*"
Uncle: "OK! YEAH! SOUNDS GREAT! WOO-HOO!"
Aunt: "You're such a brat."
Pretty sure I've witnessed the exact same deal with my parents. Like exactly the same.
The look my aunt gives to my uncle on a regular basis. Shocker, my mother does the same to my father. All out of love.
So obviously there are some major differences but it felt like I was back home. We laughed a lot and they talked about life and how exciting this time for me will be as it was for them and gave life advice. Typical for any Family Thanksgiving, right?
Yuck. My usual response to that bombardment of life questions.
But I didn't mind it. My uncle is working on his doctorate, and has more than one master's degree. My aunt had kids young but works as a nurse in oncology and loves it. They didn't have the typical route of good job, married and kids but it worked out well for them. They have a beautiful home, 2 married kids who are doing pretty darn well, and seem overall pretty happy with where they are.
I guess maybe hearing it from them made it sink a bit more than coming from my parents. Or people I see all the time.
My aunt really made me think about my life a little more deeply than I had before. She had it pretty rough. 2 kids right after getting married and then going back to school and working at the same time. I can't even imagine or fathom what that's like. We all complain about how hard we have it but that, yikes. No thank you. But there she was, successful nurse, loving family, 2 dogs and a home and stories of traveling and lots of smiles. I want that. I want to travel with my family and make some awesome memories, have a successful career, a dog or two, a home and to be smiling a lot.
One day, I'll be this cool.
And who doesn't? It wasn't the easiest road, or the 'right' path or even at all planned but it worked out. They made mistakes, and had to move on but it was ok. And they reassured me that I was going to make mistakes. Some big ones, some little ones and I'd make a lot of good choices too. I'd choose the wrong job or the wrong guy to date, etc., etc. But I'd be ok. Maybe it was the holiday and being the season to be thankful, but I really was and am very thankful for my entire family. I am so loved, and have such a huge amount of support and am so blessed that I have family and friends who are in all corners of the world, Ohio, Texas, California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois and even Columbia, Italy and Germany but when we are together it's like no amount of miles or time has passed.
I love them all so stinking much. Just like whatever this girl loves.
It wasn't all serious business talk, but I did like getting to know them so much more. Cooking the turkey and mashed potatoes, comparing how being west coasters in the south and midwest is an odd culture shock at times, watching Interstellar in the 2nd row, so you come out of the movie theater with a sore neck, checking out the fish and sharks at the aquarium and just hanging out at home too. But most of all I loved feeling loved. And being with family. It sucks that we couldn't all be together at once. We faced timed with my cousins and grandparents but it's not nearly as good. But I will remember that trip forever and have so much more love for my aunt and uncle and be able to share that bond the next time we visit each other.
To be continued!
So many people are in my corner and it's just, you know, like so awesome. *read it in my cali accent. I feared I was getting a little too twangy there.
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