Things you can see from there

Some things in life turn out to be a matter of perspective.
There's something about being a transplant, an immigrant, a diaspora, that makes one appreciate rituals that might be taken for granted when one stays home.
Holiday celebrations can become a chore to endure when you know that year after year they are going to be the same: same people gather, same food consumed, same family feuds erupt.
The Passover dinners are supposed to be just that - same story told the same way year after year, so your children will learn it and in time will be able to do it with their own families.
I remember well the very first year Passover became an important holiday for me - it was when I became a mother, in New York city. All of a sudden doing it right was crucial, even if it was the smallest one ever for us all - 4 adults and a baby. We got dressed, we had a fancy table and we read the story, we cooked, we ate and we drank. We made it festive. It was a delightful accomplishment.
Since then we try to make it special every year. When you need to gather a group of friends to celebrate, when you never know if you'll end up alone around your own table as your family back home gathers crowds effortlessly, taking holidays for granted is not possible anymore.
You become grateful of the friendships you've nourished over the years and feel honored to sit around the same table with people who choose to be there with you.