I talked about this the other day on my Facebook, but I wanted to really talk about this Christmas explosion here too. First and foremost, I grew up in Plymouth County Massachusetts, home of Plymouth, ya know, where the very first Thanksgiving happened! And Thanksgiving is HANDS DOWN my favorite holiday. My parents host my Dad's side of the family and it's pretty low-key, no kids running around, just some of my dad's siblings and a cousin or two. So every year I feel so ripped off when the day after Halloween Christmas rears it's ugly head.
But, for the first time ever, for whatever reason this year, I have been so comforted by the Christmas stuff in the stores. I'm praying it's not me being beaten down by the capitalist machine, but there are quite a few reasons why I think I'm ready to Deck the Halls.
First, this Thanksgiving is going to be my very first celebrating somewhere else. Because I made Sean come to Stack Thanksgiving last year, I have to go to his family this year. And trust me, I love his family, so I'm not bitter about that at all. I know I'm going to have a great time, but it is definitely going to be different.
Part of feeling bummed about missing my family's celebration, and the reason that I made Sean come to my house last year, is because of my aunt Diane's passing. Diane is my dad's sister, so to have one person missing in such a small party is a big loss, in so many ways. She's been gone for over a year now, but there is not a single day that I don't think about her and miss her. And these past few months, the more stressed out I feel about finishing school and all of the next big moves, I can't help but miss her and the wonderful advice that she always had for me. I always set next to her whenever we had family dinners, (and she was always my roommate when we traveled) so there has been so many changes and opportunities for growth this past year+ and I am just having such a hard time moving forward without her. I'm hoping when school is over and I figure out my next job that I will be able to really mourn and accept all of the feels I have rolling around over here. Now, enough of this crappy stuff, on to something way more exciting!
Then, Black Friday, while others are doing crazy things like shopping in the wee hours of the morning, I will be getting ready to take a train from Boston to Philly so I can be at my friend's wedding shower and bachelorette party that Saturday. This Thanksgiving I will literally, (like the actually meaning of literally, not the figurative meaning) be taking planes, trains, and automobiles to get from DC, to Boston, to Philly, to DC... I'm actually exhausted just thinking about that. It's not going to be a restful holiday.
Once I've returned from all of the traveling, I will be in my final week of graduate school. That is so exciting and so daunting at the same time. And once my 2 final papers are done I'll be ready to take a break! December is going to include about a week of relaxation before Sean and I head back to Boston for a nice week-long visit with friends and family. Which will include Coughlan Christmas (my mom's family) with Sean. Then, we are headed to Austin for my friend's New Year's Eve wedding (the same friend from the Thanksgiving trip). So my plan is to just enjoy that quick 3 day trip in a brand-new-to-me-and-Sean city and to party-hardy. Then, head back to DC for a relaxing weekend before we have to face the real-world in 2015.
So all in all I think I'm just really excited for the relaxation that the Christmas break is going to give me, plus all of the celebrating at my friend's wedding. I'm going to be D-O-N-E done with my Master's, and I'll be able to just figure out the next steps.
So that's where I am, enjoying the Christmas decorations in stores (even though Sean and I won't be putting up our tree considering the 2 weeks round Christmas we won't be home). And trying my hardest to push through the end of this program! Here's to a successful 2014 Holiday Season :)
Cheers!
Elizabeth
