So, it's been decided that we're not going home for Christmas this year. By "it's been decided" I mean that Chris and I have been discussing this for nearly a month, and came to the conclusion that there's no way we can afford to fly home this year (the tickets would cost $1300 and money's going to be the tightest already for the next few months, without dealing with that extra burden).
The funny thing is that I'm weirdly okay with this. When Chris first suggested this, I was not okay. Well, I was more avoidant about it, and then I would sometimes mention that I needed to go home for Christmas. And it's not ideal: a year away is a long time when you have elderly grandparents and when your friends back home have small children who count the days until you come back next. And of course it'll be difficult being away from our families.
And yet...you know, it'll be nice to be here. It'll be nice to have a quiet Christmas with Chris. We can decorate and have a wee little Christmas tree, and we'll spend the day with our ladies from church and Ariann and Derek (they also can't go home this Christmas). We'll do Little Christmas Eve at our house, and I'll make rice porridge and lefsa. We might go to Mount Washington (which, weirdly, is on Vancouver Island) and go snowshoeing, to make sure that we see snow. I want to walk around Market Square and see the brass bands playing Christmas carols. We can have some down time during the break, and won't have the usual "I don't know how I'm going to have time for everyone and I'm disappointing everyone" breakdown. I'll be less likely to get horribly sick.
It'll be strange, we'll have to work to make it feel like Christmas (especially without snow and family) and I don't want to make a regular habit out of missing Christmas back home, but I think we'll be okay.
(These thoughts have been stirring in my head for a while, but we wanted to talk with our families first, so that they weren't first hearing this news from my blog!)
5 comments:
Don't forget the parade of lighted trucks that runs right by our apartment building in early December! Or the Oak Bay Light Up! Can you tell I like sparkling lights?
The worst thing about the first Christmas away from family is the anticipation of the day--- but, when you get there, it is really not as bad as it sounds.
Andi: Oooooh, I forgot about the Oak Bay Light Up.
ipf: I've actually done Christmas Day here a couple of years ago (but then flew home on Boxing Day), and it was nice. Although I fear that I'll hit that moment where it just won't feel the same and I'll be all "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" mournful.
Sounds like a perfectly cozy and quiet Christmas. Enjoy it.
(Just think of Marc and I trying so very hard not to freak out on our kids b/c they're so hyper b/c "IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!" and they don't go to sleep and they hit each other with their toys and on and on...)
Could I maybe fly out and spend it with you? :)
It sounds like you will enjoy it -- just in a different way.
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