Your first Christmas away from home

[carsonshepherd]

Do you remember it?

I do. I was 20 and I had just moved, with my ex, to a very cold northern city. I didn't know anyone and I didn't even have a job yet. He worked long hours during the holiday season and when he would get home, all he wanted to do was sleep, leaving me to handle the whole household in addition to missing my family. My mom promised to come and stay with us over Christmas but, true to her form back then, she called two days before and said she wasn't going to make it. I can't remember ever being more miserable.

Strangely, 11 years later, I've learned to appreciate not having the family commitments and demands of living close to home. I also learned that my mother hated holidays when my brother and I were young, because she and my dad were divorced and we always spent the holidays with our dad. I think she regrets not coming to see me that year, now.

I don't know why I'm pondering this. must be the bottle of merlot I just drank. Sante.

 

[logophile]

I haven't really had a holiday away from home yet. I grew up in Des Moines, Ia and lived there until we moved to Milwaukee 5 1/2 years ago. But older sister had already moved here years before and my little sister moved with us. Even though we weren't in our home town anymore, my sisters were both with me and we started to build our tribe. Christmas was always just fine.

This year, though, I feel really cut off from the holiday all the way around. My ex has a girlfriend and wants to re-write the way the we've done things even though when we separated, we adamantly agreed to keep all of the traditions we've had for the kids. Both of my sisters are single this year for the first time since we moved up here (as am I, though for the second year in a row) and this has changed the structure of the holiday as well. I don't know - I feel really disjointed and left out of things, though I'm sure I'm making at least part of that up.

I have a terrible cold. Haven't slept right in almost two weeks. I wish I had a decent mom to swoop in and save Christmas for me and my kids. And to dose me heavily with Ny-Quil.

 

[carsonshepherd]

Poor baby. That cold northern city I moved to is very familiar to you.

But you moved there 5 1/2 years ago, right about the time I left! How strange.

Christmas is just a day, with expectations placed on you by others. Be well.

 

[hugo_sam]

I haven't really had a holiday away from home yet. I grew up in Des Moines, Ia and lived there until we moved to Milwaukee 5 1/2 years ago. But older sister had already moved here years before and my little sister moved with us. Even though we weren't in our home town anymore, my sisters were both with me and we started to build our tribe. Christmas was always just fine.

This year, though, I feel really cut off from the holiday all the way around. My ex has a girlfriend and wants to re-write the way the we've done things even though when we separated, we adamantly agreed to keep all of the traditions we've had for the kids. Both of my sisters are single this year for the first time since we moved up here (as am I, though for the second year in a row) and this has changed the structure of the holiday as well. I don't know - I feel really disjointed and left out of things, though I'm sure I'm making at least part of that up.

I have a terrible cold. Haven't slept right in almost two weeks. I wish I had a decent mom to swoop in and save Christmas for me and my kids. And to dose me heavily with Ny-Quil.

Logo -

 

[entitled]

Swooping andsaving are two things i do well... if i don't have to travel nearly the height of the country to do it. i'm sorry.

My first Christmas away from home... hmm.... It was spent in a fairly large but cold apartment in a small town in Montana. i was 20, pregnant, no phone to call home and say hi, and very much alone.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Logo, I dhink I hab your cold...
ad duh fambly is combind tu my houdse toborrow!

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I was working in retail in birmingham Ala. Had to work Christmas day and while I planned to drive home, I was just too worn out. Didn't like it then, still don't. Christmas, to me is all about family.

 

[Wildcard Ky]

I was 20 on my first christmas away from home as well. Mine wasn't a cold place though, I was in Phoenix. It was kind of surreal to be outside in shorts and a tank top on Christmas day.

 

[OhMissScarlett]

Fortunately, I don't think I've ever spent a Christmas that far away from home, unless I was visiting my dad when he lived in Arkansas. Though, since I worked in the hotel business, I spent way too many holidays stuck at work and miserable.

My job was to make sure all the guest's holiday celebrations went beautifully. I have this very vivid memory of watching a family unwrap their Christmas presents under the giant Christmas tree in the lobby while I talked to everyone in my family on the phone.

It's heartbreaking how working the holiday season takes the joy right out of it. People wonder why I made this transformation from bah humbug to the most annoying santa type person ever; it's because I don't have the ever lovin' life sucked out of me by work anymore.

 

[zeb1094]

First Christmas away from home. Colorado Spring, Co. my wife, two children and me. It was also the first Christmas my wife was spending away from her family. We had a little tree in the corner of the apartment with a 5 foot string of lights and about 10 ornaments and a ton of tinsel. We had to re-wrap some of the kids toys as we could only afford one new toy for each of them. We had chicken for dinner on Christmas, with stuffing and corn.

We all had fun though. The kids where happy and loved their new toys. My wife was sad and homesick but we made it through the holidays even though I had to work the night. At the time I was in the USAir Force so I had to report for my regular duty, so both Christmas Eve and Christmas night I was working.

Wasn't too bad as the kids were in bed by the time I had to leave. My wife was then left alone for the night which made me sad, but duty called. At least I wasn't overseas on a tour in VietNam or anyother place that were considered an isolated tour. I was lucky and got to go home after work.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone on the AH!