THANKSGIVING IN MYRTLE BEACH

My first Thanksgiving as a married girl

My first Thanksgiving as a married girl was spent with H’s family down in Myrtle Beach, SC.  I haven’t been to Myrtle Beach since I presented my research with my colleague about a year and a half ago, and even then it was only for a few hours. Myrtle Beach used to be my family’s go-to destination when we wanted to get out of Columbia for a bit.  All of the memories of when I was in middle & high school started to resurface in my mind. H has a huge (& wonderful) family which consists of a range of all ages. It’s a beautiful thing to be around a big family.  I have one too, but we have been separated throughout the years and do not get the blessing of living in the same place and being able to see each other all of the time. It was a nice change of pace being packed in a condo with so many people and getting the opportunity to talk to whoever I wanted. All the while my parents, siblings, grandmother, and uncle went to Dallas (see my last trip to Texas here) and got to spend time with the rest of my family as well as attend the Panthers vs. Cowboys game (I know, I know!!!). As I was in Myrtle Beach, I expected to be more upset that I wasn’t with my family, and that I would feel as if life had moved on without them around. Then I realized that a beautiful blessing had been rewarded to me.  Family is something that I have been forever grateful for.  I’ve put them first, even before my own happiness, and that had been the standard since I was a young girl. Now, my family has doubled in size. How lucky am I to now have an even bigger group of people to always stand behind me and support me through life’s trials and tribulations? I missed my family very much. I missed my family in Texas very much. But I was glad to have this new experience with H’s family. The truth is, had he come with me to Texas, he would’ve felt the same way that I had been feeling without my family around. And isn’t that what marriage is all about? Compromise? I hope that with years to come we will smoothly transition into a new stage of our life where there won’t be a “my family” and “his family” any more. It will just be family. One big, giant, huge, beautiful family. 
(Honestly, I think we’ve already achieved it. We just need to get used to holidays)