I’m so glad you decided to come home for Thanksgiving this year! I know you said you can only manage a short trip, so I want to make sure we make the most of it. Here’s what I’m thinking so far:
After your flight gets in at 11 P.M. on Wednesday night (you’re sure you can’t get an earlier flight?), we have to take you to the new taco place that opened in town. I know you live in L.A. and there are pretty good tacos there, but this new place next to the Nordstrom Rack (the good one where I got you that Fila jacket once, not the bad one with the smell) will knock your socks off. Dad loves their beans! I don’t remember what the restaurant is called, but I bet if we just drive in that general direction and circle for a bit, we’ll find it.
Now, for Thanksgiving Day, we have a lot of cooking to do and I haven’t had time to start prepping at all, so we’ll want to keep things simple. First, breakfast at the Pancake Palace—remember how much you used to love their M&M pancakes? They’re under new management now and, honestly, it’s not as good, but it’s still worth stopping by even just to see how long the line to get a table is.
After breakfast, I promised Dana we’d join her for the Gobble Trot 5K. I told you what happened to Dana’s brother-in-law, right? She really needs this. Don’t forget to pack your running shoes this time!
Then, while I get started on the pies, you can finally help me digitize all the photo albums and go through those boxes of your stuff from high school. I didn’t want to throw out your old calculus notes in case you needed them!
Once that’s squared away, we should really visit Nana, who just isn’t up to travelling to our house for dinner. This could be her last Thanksgiving, so we should at least stop by! It’s only a four-hour drive in each direction.
On the way back, we can take a little detour over to the botanical garden. They’re doing a whole holiday light-display thing. It doesn’t actually start till December 1st, but you said you can’t stay that long (you’re sure you can’t change your flight?), so we can just watch the guys wrap the lights around the trees and imagine what it will look like.
All the cousins are grownups with their own family obligations now, but you come to town so infrequently that everyone has decided to pop by to see you at random intervals throughout the afternoon, so we won’t actually sit down to eat until 6 P.M.—but that’s O.K. because the turkey won’t be ready till eight. Luckily, I got us a new five-thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle to do while we wait. I actually got it used from that church consignment sale where I found those great snow pants, so it might be missing a few pieces, but that means we’ll be able to finish it even faster!
After we’re done eating and cleaning up, we can take a walk over to Wimbledon Drive to see if they’ve put their Christmas decorations up, then maybe go buy a tree ourselves so you don’t miss out on the tree-trimming experience. You’re sure you can’t make it for Christmas, too?
If you want to go out that night to see some old friends from high school, I won’t be offended. But also feel free to invite them to come by the house! Did you know that Jeremy Brandstetter just bought a place over on Wimbledon? Must be doing pretty well for himself. You two should reconnect!
But try to get to bed early because you said your flight is at 6 A.M. (you’re sure you can’t move it later?) and we should probably swing by Nana’s again on our way to the airport. It could be her last Black Friday, you know.
Anyway, these are just some ideas. Happy to add more!
I’m so excited to see you!!! Please give me a call as soon as you’ve had a chance to read this single, seven-hundred-word text. I won’t answer.
Love,
Mom ♦
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
