That one time I went to the parade...

Happy Thanksgiving!!! We are in Kansas enjoying the mild 60 degree weather and looking forward to bellies full of wholesome homemade Midwest cooking.  Since we are busy enjoying family time today I wrote this post in advance.  It's a memory rewind. 

I mentioned back here that I went to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade one time.  It was a once in a lifetime experience because we were seated in the bleachers right in front of Macy's where all the performances are done.  Anyone can attend the parade and line the streets of the parade route the morning of the event.  However, all the people in the bleachers along the route and outside Macy's have to have tickets. 

In 2012, Dan and I had just started dating so we were not really blending family holidays yet.  He was upstate visiting a cousin and I stayed in Brooklyn.  My good friend works for Macy's corporate and she won a raffle for tickets to the parade and she graciously offered one to me!

Four of us met in the wee hours of the morning to head into the city, I think we met in the Subway at like 4 am.  Ticket holders had to arrive by 6 am to get their seats.  We sat on the freezing cold bleachers while the sun rose over the city.  The Broadway performers were practicing right by us and we could see Savannah and Matt preparing for the NBC broadcast.

Even though it was really cold, crowded, and tiring, we had a blast.  Everything was so close and the spirit of the holidays was so alive.

The best part?  SANTA of course!

After the parade our tickets let us into the special post-parade buffet inside Macy's where all the people who participated in the parade got to chow down.  It was really neat but by that point we were exhausted and had a long commute back to Brooklyn.  It was weird though because it felt so late but it was only just after noon.

That night my friend and I made a full thanksgiving meal at my tiny studio apartment.  How we managed to coordinate everything I'll never know but it was  great time with her.

I'll probably never go to the parade again.  To me, waiting along the route just isn't worth it.  I'd rather watch in my jammies on the couch.  But if I was ever invited to sit in the ticketed area again, why of course!

Hope you are all enjoying your holiday!  Love from Kansas.