/mike

This year was completely different than any other year for me. I’m in a new country, with new friends, and no family within a few hundred miles. A big change in the way I spent the holiday considering what I’ve been used to over the past 29 years.

The biggest change, other than being in an entirely new country, was being around friends that don’t actually celebrate the holiday. This left me to my own devices. With a small circle of local friends and not enough time to plan a trip anywhere I resorted to what I had available, setting up a video chat with my family back home.

Early Christmas morning I got up and set everything up for the video chat, then waited until my family, two hours behind, woke up and got ready to start the day. When everyone was ready they called me and we got into the gift opening—they had sent me a package of gifts via UPS earlier this month.

When the carnage subsided, the following was left in my living room:

• 24 season 5
• Battlestar Galactica season 2.0
• Veronica Mars season 1
• The Wire season 1
• House, M.D. season 2
• Arrested Development season 3
• a Hilfiger hoodie
• gray shirt with the slogan, “Dear Santa, I can explain”
• Sudoku board game
• PJ’s
• an electric mixer

Of course that doesn’t include the awesome candy gifts I received—Lindt white chocolate bars, mints, Mack Toffee, etc.

That’s about it. My family went for their usual Christmas morning breakfast—potato cheese flapjack, sausage, bacon, toast, and eggs—at my sisters house. When they finished unwrapping their gifts we got back online and I got to watch them open their gifts—of which I denied acknowledging the gift my brother opened since it was a Nintendo Wii.

Once the well wishes were over and the thank you’s had gone the distance it was time to relegate myself to my couch and start the DVD marathon.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday whether they were with family or not. Oh yeah, if anyone has any plans for new year’s and they’re anywhere near PA, NY, Massachusetts, NJ or even Maryland and you wouldn’t mind company or just feel like inviting another person, let me know.