It's the holiday season! This is my favorite time of the year! I love getting together with friends and family and just spending time together! It's the best thing in the world. Quality time... it's my love language! I know people say that Christmas is their favorite holiday because they get presents and tons of food. Well I could care less about the presents and the food, although there is some delicious food at Thanksgiving and Christmas! The best thing about Thanksgiving and Christmas is that families make it their mission to be together for the holidays. Whether it is seeing one side of the family for Thanksgiving and the other for Christmas or everyone gets together for both. That is the best part of the holiday in my opinion!
Unfortunately this year I will miss it (and more). These Western holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) aren't really celebrated here in East Asia.
America is the only ones who celebrate Thanksgiving and, here in China, I don't really have any American friends. I'm not complaining. I love all the friends I have here in China that come from all over the globe. But when it comes to beginning the holiday season with Thanksgiving there is no one here that actually celebrates it. :(. That was hard, but thankfully I have some awesome friends (*cough* Tanith*cough*) who want to celebrate with me even though they don't actually have this holiday in their home country. So the group of foreigners I work with decided to go out on Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) for a "Thanksgiving" in China meal. Sadly there was no turkey but again it's not about the food. It's about the company. :)
I did call home on Thanksgiving. It was cool to FaceTime with my mom and get to see all my family after they had stuffed their faces full of Thanksgiving food prepared by my awesome Aunt and Grandma. It was great talking to everyone for the brief time I had but I was a little envious. I wanted to be there so bad. Not just for the delicious food that you can truly only get back home, I mean it's called home-cooked for a reason ;), but for the company of family. My family has been going to my aunt's house for Thanksgiving for at least the past 8 years and I always enjoyed it, but the phrase "you don't know what you got til it's gone" really resonated with me. I don't have the quality time with family this year and I definitely miss it.
But now that Thanksgiving is over.... I get to look forward to Christmas.... here in Asia.... where December 25th is just another working day. You read that right, I have to work on Christmas day. Our school is having a party for Christmas but I think it is called a Snow Party. In preparation for the party we have to decorate our classrooms with Christmas decorations. I don't know why but this makes me want to go home even more. I miss decorating the tree and making holiday cookies. Because all of these things are done with friends and family. Holiday movie nights, baking Christmas desserts(No Bakes, sugar cut outs, peanut butter balls, etc), and just being together. WAAAHHHH Can I go home?
But a good thing is I have some great friends here that I get to spend the holiday with. My friends at church are having a Christmas dinner on Christmas. So I am leaving school that day and traveling the hour distance to go to their house and have Christmas dinner! I am super excited! Then I think the day after Christmas some of us foreigners at IVY are getting together for a Christmas dinner. So I will still get to spend time with friends. It's the family traditions of Christmas that I will miss out on. Hopefully I will get to Skype/FaceTime with my family so I will get to see them at least :).
Everyone tells me to enjoy this adventure because it's a once in a lifetime. I agree I am going to enjoy it but there are definitely ups and downs that come with it. I miss the holidays and my family and friends back home. But I wouldn't change this for the world. I know this is where God has called me to be. I don't know for how long but for right now this is where I am meant to be. I have learned and grown so much during my time here and my time isn't over. Just keep me in your prayers this holiday season! :)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!
Remember the reason for the season, the birth of Jesus! :)
Unfortunately this year I will miss it (and more). These Western holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) aren't really celebrated here in East Asia.
America is the only ones who celebrate Thanksgiving and, here in China, I don't really have any American friends. I'm not complaining. I love all the friends I have here in China that come from all over the globe. But when it comes to beginning the holiday season with Thanksgiving there is no one here that actually celebrates it. :(. That was hard, but thankfully I have some awesome friends (*cough* Tanith*cough*) who want to celebrate with me even though they don't actually have this holiday in their home country. So the group of foreigners I work with decided to go out on Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) for a "Thanksgiving" in China meal. Sadly there was no turkey but again it's not about the food. It's about the company. :)
I did call home on Thanksgiving. It was cool to FaceTime with my mom and get to see all my family after they had stuffed their faces full of Thanksgiving food prepared by my awesome Aunt and Grandma. It was great talking to everyone for the brief time I had but I was a little envious. I wanted to be there so bad. Not just for the delicious food that you can truly only get back home, I mean it's called home-cooked for a reason ;), but for the company of family. My family has been going to my aunt's house for Thanksgiving for at least the past 8 years and I always enjoyed it, but the phrase "you don't know what you got til it's gone" really resonated with me. I don't have the quality time with family this year and I definitely miss it.
But now that Thanksgiving is over.... I get to look forward to Christmas.... here in Asia.... where December 25th is just another working day. You read that right, I have to work on Christmas day. Our school is having a party for Christmas but I think it is called a Snow Party. In preparation for the party we have to decorate our classrooms with Christmas decorations. I don't know why but this makes me want to go home even more. I miss decorating the tree and making holiday cookies. Because all of these things are done with friends and family. Holiday movie nights, baking Christmas desserts(No Bakes, sugar cut outs, peanut butter balls, etc), and just being together. WAAAHHHH Can I go home?
But a good thing is I have some great friends here that I get to spend the holiday with. My friends at church are having a Christmas dinner on Christmas. So I am leaving school that day and traveling the hour distance to go to their house and have Christmas dinner! I am super excited! Then I think the day after Christmas some of us foreigners at IVY are getting together for a Christmas dinner. So I will still get to spend time with friends. It's the family traditions of Christmas that I will miss out on. Hopefully I will get to Skype/FaceTime with my family so I will get to see them at least :).
Everyone tells me to enjoy this adventure because it's a once in a lifetime. I agree I am going to enjoy it but there are definitely ups and downs that come with it. I miss the holidays and my family and friends back home. But I wouldn't change this for the world. I know this is where God has called me to be. I don't know for how long but for right now this is where I am meant to be. I have learned and grown so much during my time here and my time isn't over. Just keep me in your prayers this holiday season! :)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!
Remember the reason for the season, the birth of Jesus! :)