Often times, you don’t realize what you have until you’ve lost it. I’ve always enjoyed spending the holidays with my family, but I figured that being abroad for the holiday season wouldn’t be too different, and in fact might even be more fun! After all, I would at least be with my girlfriend.
As it turns out, I was wrong. Being away from my family and friends during the holidays was the hardest part of the year, surpassing even the depths of TEFL grammar tests.
As it turns out, I was wrong. Being away from my family and friends during the holidays was the hardest part of the year, surpassing even the depths of TEFL grammar tests.
Kelsey and I spent the lead up to Christmas in the Canary Islands and Scotland, and then settled into London on Christmas Eve. For the first time in my life, I got a tan in December and went to an outdoor Christmas market in shorts and a t-shirt. The Canary Islands were a strange way to kick off the holiday season, but when we got to some real winter weather in Scotland the feeling of strangeness didn’t dissipate.
Last year when I went to school in Pennsylvania I missed Thanksgiving, which was a bit sad for me. But it was okay, because I knew that I would be home for over a month starting in December. This year I don’t return to Seattle until February 4, which happens to be one day after the super bowl, another event my extended family gets together for.
It felt so strange this year to break from a tradition I had been partaking in every year of my life up until now. It’s like walking outside without tying your shoelaces; it just doesn’t feel right.
Not only did I miss out on spending time with my family during the quintessential spend-time-with-family part of the year but I also missed out on seeing my friends. Last year when I got back from school, I organized a holiday party at my house with friends from high school and went to a few hosted by others. Seeing all of the old faces at a keg on New Years Eve was one of the highlights of my winter. This year, I won’t be able to see some of my friends who go to school out of state until summer.
If Kelsey and I had decided to go back to the States for the holidays it would have cut over a month of travel off of our trip and we wouldn’t have been able to visit our friends in Germany, Italy, and France or explore the Canary Islands, Scotland, or England.
Even still, I can’t help but wonder if we should have gone back in December. It just wasn’t right not eating pumpkin pie with the family, watching football with friends, seeing the old faces at parties, getting woken up by my sister on Christmas day, and putting gifts under the tree in Seattle. But no, there will be no regrets. I may never return to Europe (though I don’t think that will be the case!), and this December has really made me aware of how lucky I am to have family and friends worth missing.
Last year when I went to school in Pennsylvania I missed Thanksgiving, which was a bit sad for me. But it was okay, because I knew that I would be home for over a month starting in December. This year I don’t return to Seattle until February 4, which happens to be one day after the super bowl, another event my extended family gets together for.
It felt so strange this year to break from a tradition I had been partaking in every year of my life up until now. It’s like walking outside without tying your shoelaces; it just doesn’t feel right.
Not only did I miss out on spending time with my family during the quintessential spend-time-with-family part of the year but I also missed out on seeing my friends. Last year when I got back from school, I organized a holiday party at my house with friends from high school and went to a few hosted by others. Seeing all of the old faces at a keg on New Years Eve was one of the highlights of my winter. This year, I won’t be able to see some of my friends who go to school out of state until summer.
If Kelsey and I had decided to go back to the States for the holidays it would have cut over a month of travel off of our trip and we wouldn’t have been able to visit our friends in Germany, Italy, and France or explore the Canary Islands, Scotland, or England.
Even still, I can’t help but wonder if we should have gone back in December. It just wasn’t right not eating pumpkin pie with the family, watching football with friends, seeing the old faces at parties, getting woken up by my sister on Christmas day, and putting gifts under the tree in Seattle. But no, there will be no regrets. I may never return to Europe (though I don’t think that will be the case!), and this December has really made me aware of how lucky I am to have family and friends worth missing.