The Week Before Thanksgiving: Chaos, Cooking & Gratitude

The week before Thanksgiving always feels like a marathon I didn’t sign up for, but still somehow end up winning. My kitchen turns into a full-blown command center — roasting pans stacked everywhere, timers going off in chaotic harmony, grocery bags lined up like soldiers waiting for their assignments. My catering orders pile up, my personal chef clients need their meals cooked & my phone becomes a nonstop stream of “Can you add one more dish?” messages.

It’s the kind of busy that feels both exhilarating & overwhelming all at once.

And then there’s the other side of my life right now — the part where I’m preparing to leave the country for good in a few months. Going through every closet, drawer & cabinet to declutter for my estate sale in two weeks. Trying to figure out what stays, what sells & what gets packed for my new life across the world in Greece.

It’s a lot.

Like… a WHOLE lot.

I’m bouncing between cooking for dozens of people, staging an estate sale, purging years of belongings, finishing catering invoices, brushing up on my Greek & planning an international move — all while trying to squeeze in yoga so I don’t completely lose my mind. And then there’s Bubba, my little shadow, staring at me with those big eyes like, “Mom, can you sit down for five seconds & hold me?” So I take a pause. I sit. I breathe. And I remind myself that even the busiest seasons deserve softness.

Because here’s the truth:

All of this chaos is rooted in blessings.

I get to cook for people who trust me with their holiday tables.

I get to reinvent my life at 40+ and move to a place that feels like home.

I get to build something new from scratch.

I get to create a future that feels aligned, intentional & deeply mine.

And in the middle of the recipes, the packing lists, the early-morning grocery runs, the yoga classes squeezed into tiny windows of time, and the cuddle breaks with Bubba… I feel it. Gratitude. For where I am. For where I’m going. For who’s coming with me. For the life I’m building, piece by piece.

This week is messy.

This week is exhausting.

This week is beautiful.

And as tired as I am, I’m so unbelievably grateful for it all.