A long time ago I read [_The World is Flat_] (http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/bookshelf/the-world-is-flat). Like many expats I felt first hand how flat our world is when travelling to small no name towns in China and seeing that McDonald's or Starbucks on the corner. It's amazing how I can go to a town that speaks no English yet order a Grande Nonfat Vanilla Latte.

As many Americans felt recently, the election of our new President was a momentuous occassion. Many things are represented by our new President and I felt so proud to be an American but also somewhat detached with what was going on. The "flat world" I feel pertains to many material or consumable goods, but the feeling you get from living at home sometimes is just not transferable.

Take for example, the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Back home you can feel Thanksgiving in the air everytime you go to the grocery store and see all those frozen turkeys eying you down the aisle. However, here you really have to make an effort to create the same affect. I was at [City Shop] (http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/listings/shopping/supermarkets/has/city-shop-hongmei-lu/) today and have to say felt some of that warm, homey Thanksgiving feeling. Maybe it was the cans of Libby's pumpkin pie mix or boxes of Stove Top stuffing, but there was definitely some Thanksgiving in the air.

As a parent now, I take more effort into creating these holidays for Tanner to enjoy. He is American after all, but with a Chinese face living in China. It's hard to balance both and sometimes I feel guilty for shortchanging him on these experiences. However, if the world really is that flat, it'll just take some extra effort on the parts of the parents to create that home atmosphere. As my husband often says, "home is not a structure, but the people in it." You can live anywhere and as long as you are all together, it'll always be the best environment for your little one.