As the buzz of our recent holiday fades away, I’m kicking back and reflecting on the myriad of Thanksgiving experiences that have spiced up my time in the Western New York community.
Now, I wasn’t born into the Thanksgiving hype, but let me tell you, it definitely impacted me when I landed in this neck of the woods. Over the years, I’ve rocked Thanksgiving in different roles – played the host, done the solo feast thing, and crashed at some lovely local family gatherings.
This year’s Thanksgiving chapter? Well, big shoutout to Irene Haupt for pulling me into the mix with her and her husband Charles, plus their eclectic circle of friends – none of whom are locals! You may think that Charles, who was BPO’s concertmaster for 37 years, is from this area but he was born and raised in NYC.
It’s a big world out there… or is it really? Hailing from these orange dots, we came together at one table to celebrate this year’s Thanksgiving, in a melting pot.
I’ve known Irene forever in my Buffalo days, and this ain’t our first turkey rodeo together. Irene has this crazy talent for connecting people! Thanks to her, I’ve met lots of awesome people here in Buffalo, including Catalin, who became one of my dearest friends. Funny enough, Catalin, just like Irene, has also the gift and passion of connecting people!
So this year my thanks go to Irene for being the friendship matchmaker she is and to our gracious host and lovely guests. As we swapped tales, I couldn’t help but smile at the mishmash of journeys landing us at the same Thanksgiving table. Each person had their own story of how they ended up in this neck of the woods.
And, while I’m at it, I’ll also raise my glass and toast to all the local families who have been generously welcoming us, blown-ins, at their tables. Here’s to future Thanksgiving tales and making lasting connections. Cheers! 🦃✨