Thanksgiving 2022

Written By Vi Nguyen

This year I opted to stay close to NOLA with the hopes of celebrating Thanksgiving with my sister and mom in the grand ole state of Texas. As fate would have it, my family’s paths would diverge from the original plan with each family member pulling out of the trip last minute, leaving my dog and me eating to our heart’s content, alone. A solo adventure plus one little buddy.

And, as fate would have it, I succumbed to the flu upon my arrival in Austin, Tejas. Did it have something to do with me going out-out on 6th Street (equivalent to Bourbon St. in New Orleans). Maybe, maybe not.

As if it was predetermined by the divine, I am to be isolated this turkey season. If one were to believe in predetermined destinies as I suddenly do for this occasion, I would like to think that the weather in Austin, Texas at this time is well suited for someone on house arrest — rainy, below 50 degrees, and gloomy all week. PERFECT weather for staying in, guilt-free.

And so, my week consisted of sleeping 12+ hours every evening, binge-watching Netflix (particularly, the fifth season of The Crown), eating Central Market ice cream in bed (the ganache!!!!), drinking eggnog every night (the first eggnog I ever loved was purchased from Central Market), and starving the cold/flu with dry-aged steak dinners and Chilean Sea Bass (purchased from Central Market — you notice, there is a theme). I like to think that the ill are entitled to these indulgences.

In an alternate world where I am 100% in full health, I would have to attend to the Anki cards, emails, things on my to-do list that are long OVERDUE, and all the other things that I worry about! Alas, they can all wait…

I did manage to cook up a couple of things over this break.

  • Steamed Chilean Sea Bass (dad’s recipe)

  • Cast Iron Dry-Aged Rib-Eye Steak

  • Central Market Mac n Cheese with Walnut “Parmesan”

  • Cranberry Stuffing

  • Roasted Beets Salad with Yuzu-Fig Vinaigrette

  • TBD

And I would be remiss to not mention the things I am grateful for this season…the ones that are most obvious to me are:

  • The unfailing support of my family and friends. My family has provided unconditional love and my friends (new and old) are reliable, loyal, and kind — the type of friendship that Tolkien would write about.

  • My new little buddy, Hugo, is a small but mighty dog whose love, warmth, and cuddles I could not live without. We are an inseparable pair.

  • The privilege to learn the foundations of medicine so that I may care for others someday. I will be real, this gratitude does come with a caveat — I am continually humbled by how little I know, reminded every hour of every day that I know NOTHING, and I am awe of those who are currently practicing medicine (how do they hold all this knowledge in their brains…and use it…on real people?!). This dream of mine that I have held near and dear to my heart is becoming realized — and I can’t believe that this dream that I hoped, prayed, and cast 11:11 wishes for is being lived out. The journey is hard, and I am told that I have to trust the process…but this Thanksgiving I am so unbelievably grateful a person at Tulane thought I was an ok enough person to someday take care of others. This is a serious endeavor and the sadness I feel about being inadequate, at times, is just a component of that jet fuel (Jet fuel for staying afloat in med school = anxiety + caffeine + threat of failure + scared shitless of killing future patients + but also wanting to provide best care possible + did I mention the threat of failure) that keeps me going so that I can be the best doctor I can be someday.

  • Did I mention my friends? They are incredible. I am inspired by their accomplishments, fortitude, humor, good-lookingness/style (in my eyes, they’re beautiful inside and out!), and their sense of fun! My new friends (and old friends) are the bee’s knees 🥰

  • A special thanks to my friends Simmy & Diana, and Suzanne for sharing their homes with me over this lovely break :)

  • A special shout-out to Matthew, Orrie, Noor, and Madeline for their humor and love, especially on long drives this break :)

  • Finally, my health (ironically, as I recover from the flu). At the spritely age of 30, at my peak bone density, I am thankful that I have no aches and pains of note, feet that still take me many miles around Audubon Park, and the drive to push beyond my physical limits! (TRIATHLON HERE WE COME!!!!)

Thankful for all of that. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT.

And here I go, about to publish this post, putting this out in the public domain for all to see… HERE WE GO!!!!!!

Peace,

Vi

*Note to self: Rewatch the Sketchy Micro videos for influenza

Vi Nguyen https://missvietnom.com