Last year, was my first year not spending the holiday period at home, and I honestly had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I missed my mom’s incredible cooking, partaking in Secret Santa with friends, and simply the way my hometown looks and feels during Christmas.
On the other hand, staying in Europe during the Christmas period allowed me to have a different holiday experience and one that I am incredibly excited about. To keep myself from missing my family too much, I planned a few activities and trips that kept my mind off of missing home.
In time of test, family is best.
–Burmese Proverb
Although all of my immediate family was abroad, lucky for me, I had extended family living in the UK. The holiday season was the perfect time to reconnect with them. I got to finally take advantage of living so close to family members that I’d typically only chatted with over the phone.
The most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world itself
– Wallace Stevens
My number one way to cure homesickness is to travel to different places. Plenty of cities are incredibly beautiful during the holiday period, and I chose three to visit between December and January.
- Tromso, Norway- where I got to play out my Christmas fantasies in a winter wonderland setting complete with opportunities to visit reindeer, go dog sledging, and see the northern lights.
- Barcelona, Spain – where I got a little reprieve from the cold weather in the UK, and enjoyed a city that’s incredibly lively during the holiday period.
- Manchester, UK – where I learned what all the hype is about England’s most famous city north of London, at a time of year when it’s especially gorgeous.
Life was meant for good friends and great adventures.
Lastly, I planned to take full advantage of London being a bit quieter at this time, by planning activities and events with my friends who were still in the area. On the list were Christmas related things like shopping, or visiting Hyde park’s winter wonderland. It was also a great time to visit museums and eat at some of the amazing restaurants that typically have a long wait time.
Now that I’ve shared my holiday plans, leave a comment below sharing what you are doing for the holidays. If you’re not going home, how are you making sure to stay in the holiday spirit?
