Last year was the first time in my life that I have spent Christmas away from my home and my family, and it was quite an experience. I was working away with my business partner Alexander Sabadash and he was very kind enough to invite me to his place for Christmas Day – getting home would have just been too difficult, not to mention the flight prices! Alexander and his family were the perfect hosts, however, and whilst each family does things differently, it is nice to experience something a little different. If you are spending this Christmas away from your family and your home this year, here are some tips on making it just as enjoyable.
Not Alone
Much of the reason why I decided to take Alexander up on his offer was that I just didn’t want to spend this day on my own, and nor should you! The idea of a great Christmas day, beyond all of the details and the traditions, is that you are together with others, sharing laughter and conversation. No matter where you are or what you are doing, you should endeavor to spend this day with someone, even if it is just for a few hours.
Accepting Change
At first, I was getting frustrated at the way things were being done. Not because Alexander and his family weren’t incredible hosts – they really were – it was simply because they didn’t do things the way that I do back home. It took me an hour or two to really figure it out, and I had to just accept that this was going to be different, which I needed to embrace. Once I got over that, I began to really enjoy myself and even brought a few of their traditions back home which I’ll be using this year.
Keeping It Alive
Just because you are not at home with your friends and your family doesn’t mean that you can’t still try to keep some of your traditions alive. Whether it is a little glass of sherry before dinner, watching a certain TV classic or movie, or even going to church at a certain time. Whilst you may not be able to give yourself the full experience, there are always things that you can do to ‘doff your cap’ to the Christmas traditions that you have grown used to.
Reaching Out
It’s going to be hard to contact your friends and family when you aren’t there, but it is still something which you should really try to do as it will put a smile on your face and theirs. Try to arrange a group video call so that they can see what you are up to and you can feel as though you are still a part of their day.
Christmas away from your home can certainly be challenging, especially if you are not with any of your friends and family. Nonetheless there is nothing to say that you can’t still enjoy the holidays and this special day, no matter where you are or what you are doing.