Thanksgiving observations

We had dinner today with a bunch of our friends from Zach's division. Several of the singles or couples with no/very small kids - everyone with family elsewhere. So even though we're a couple thousand miles from family, Thanksgiving was still a big affair with lots of good people.

So, as we were there, I noticed a few things:

1. The military community is really good at taking care of each other. Not the military itself, mind you - that is kinda hit or miss as to what they provide for their families. But the community is good at it. I was asked by 3 different friends of mine (I don't know how many more Zach was asked by) to make sure that we had someplace to eat Thanksgiving dinner at. Everyone here knows that we're all scattered and may or may not be able to be with family for the holidays. So, we all eat together and form a makeshift sort of family, all stuck out here in the same boat. I never noticed that in the civilian world. 2 different Thanksgivings while I worked at Horrible Job in SC, and I don't remember even being asked what I was doing for Thanksgiving, even though everyone knew my family was 2 states away and my boyfriend was stationed on the other side of the country. Just a different mindset, with the assumption that "it's a holiday, you'll find a way to celebrate with friends and family since they're here or pretty close by," not the assumption like on a military post that friends and families are time zones away. Just an observation.
   
2. You know it's a bad/frustrating place you're stationed at when 3 of the people at the table (all different households) all mention that what they are thankful for is either having received orders and knowing they are about to leave here, or that they are about to receive orders in the next few weeks, again meaning they are about to leave here. Yeah, not a good sign.

That's all, really. Nothing too deep and meaningful, as I'm totally stuffed and though not quite in food coma-realm, am definitely ready to head to bed :)