Two more weeks…five more days…one more day…finally, we reached Thanksgiving break. It seemed like everyone, including myself, was counting down the days until break. It has been a super busy fall, and adjusting back to a more “normal” life since the pandemic only made it seem busier. This fall, we returned to actual sports seasons, fully in-person activities, and a host of other aspects of life that had been interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As much as it’s great to be back, it has definitely been tiring, and I’m sure many agree when I say this break was much needed.
Whether it was finally having some free time or sharing a holiday meal with family, our week-long Thanksgiving break provided the KO community with the perfect opportunity to slow down, at least for a little bit. While some stayed local over break enjoying the comforts of home, others in our community set out and stayed busy. Quin Kearney ’23 and Jacob Joseph ’23 each had two very different yet equally fun Thanksgiving experiences – thousands of miles apart.
Some Thanksgivings, Quin and her family travel to Cincinnati to spend the holiday with their family. This year, however, Quin really got into the holiday spirit by spending Thanksgiving in New York City and attending the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. For many of us, Thanksgiving day often begins by watching the parade on TV. Going to see the parade in person has been a tradition the Kearney family has participated in for years.
Joined by her mom, sister, and some family friends, Quin took to the streets of New York to enjoy the show. “We watched the parade around 59th street and Central Park South,” she said, “which is around 20 minutes from the start point: 77th street.” The atmosphere in the city was joyous, with crowds of people all excited to view the famous parade balloons, floats, and fabulous performers. Quin mentioned that in those moments, it was quite easy to forget the pandemic ever happened. The city’s streets were completely packed, no one wore masks, and life seemed completely normal.
As the procession made its way through the streets, the crowd erupted into cheers. Giant balloons of Ronald McDonald and Pikachu floated through the sky, and performers danced below. The highlight of the parade for Quin was getting to see some of her favorite celebrities. “My favorite part of the parade was probably when we saw Darren Criss,” she said. “He plays Blaine in the show ‘Glee.’ It was always one of my favorite shows growing up.” In addition to Darren Criss, Jordan Fisher, Jon Batiste, and Nelly were Quin’s other favorite celebrity sightings from the parade.
Following their festive and busy morning, Quin and her family enjoyed a very laid-back Thanksgiving dinner of Joe’s Pizza in the East Village. The meal was accompanied by Christmas movies, of course.
Taking little time to recover from Thanksgiving celebrations, the Kearney’s took advantage of Black Friday deals and perused the shops of NYC. “My favorite part of the break was probably the shopping,” she said. “I loved being able to walk around the city and see all of the stores decorated for Christmas. I was even able to start shopping for my family’s gifts.”
While Quin stayed relatively close to home in the cold weather, just over 1,000 miles south, Jacob enjoyed his Thanksgiving break by soaking up the rays in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Jacob and his family frequently find themselves in Florida over holiday breaks because they rotate visiting different parts of his family around the country for each holiday. This Thanksgiving, Jacob, his parents, and his siblings visited with his grandparents.
While in Florida, Jacob took time to relax by the pool and get some fresh air on many walks with his family. In addition to enjoying Florida’s beautiful November weather, Jacob said that much of his time was spent visiting with his grandfather, as it was his 80th birthday. “I spent a lot of time talking with him, just catching up with him, and being with him since I don’t get to see him that much during the winter,” Jacob said.
Thanksgiving allows us a chance to spend quality time with our family, and that’s exactly what Jacob did throughout his break. Exemplifying the sentiments of the holiday, he mentioned that his favorite part of the break was his grandfather’s 80th birthday dinner. He described the beautiful meal and how grateful he was to be able to enjoy the food with his family in addition to celebrating such a great event. “It was just nice to converse with [my grandfather] for a while,” he said. “I can tell he’s at a point in his life where he’s become really appreciative of the life he’s had and the family that’s there for him.
Even though Thanksgiving in Florida is far different than in Connecticut, Jacob was happy to be able to visit with family after not being able to during the pandemic. “It’s good to get back into the swing of things,” he said.
Like many members of the KO community Jacob was really appreciative of the opportunity to see his family. “It was great to hang out with them since I don’t get to see them that often,” he said. “I’m glad holidays are returning to normalcy again.”
