Small waves whose tops were brushed with silver gently rolled in from the Little Bahama Bank. As I lay, sprawled upon the hammock in the bright Bahamian sun, I was serenaded by the serene splashing of these incessant waves upon the bright, white sand. A strong north wind sounded a pedal tone over which all the other sounds of the beach improvised. The girls were relaxing and soaking up the sun on lounge chairs not far away. This was how we spent the better part of this Thanksgiving.

I believe this is the first Thanksgiving, a truly American holiday, that we spent on foreign soil. But, we truly have much to be thankful for. We are thankful, of course, most of all for the kindness and grace of God in extending his never-ending mercies to us. We are thankful for our families and friends spread across the U.S.A. We are thankful that we have been blessed to live a life of which many only dream. We have sailed our own boat to the Bahamas and are spending a beautiful day on a gorgeous sandy beach overlooking crystal clear turquoise waters. Thanks be to God!

We thought we would not be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with the traditional turkey and fixings. But, we were mistaken. Just this morning we found out that the resort is serving a buffet this evening with all the usual American Thanksgiving foods. We were also excited to discover that to further enhance our Bahamian Thanksgiving, we would be treated to Junkanoo. Junkanoo is a Bahamian street parade with music, dance and costumes very similar to Carnival or Mardi Gras. Junkanoo takes place each year on Boxing Day, New Years Day and Bahamian Independence Day.

The food at our Thanksgiving feast was excellent. The delicious meal consisted of salad, cole slaw, rice and beans, Bahamian macaroni, yams, cranberries, turkey, dressing, ham, and pumpkin pie. It was as good as any Thanksgiving dinner I’ve ever had. Our dinner was made more special by the company of some new friends we’ve met at Old Bahama Bay, Gord and Debbie Moon, aboard S/V Bella Luna, an Antares 44i Catamaran. They made the crossing from Florida on Tuesday, the same day we crossed. We enjoyed sharing stories and future plans over our Thanksgiving meal. If the weather cooperates, we may cross the Little Bahama Bank to the Abacos together in a few days.

At the close of our feast, a group of locals held a small scale Junkanoo celebration for us just outside the beachside restaurant. Men and women dressed in colorful costumes rang cowbells, beat on drums, and played brass instruments as both they and the diners celebrated Thanksgiving with rhythmic dance. It was great post-meal entertainment. Today was a Thanksgiving day unlike any other, and likely unlike any other to come.