The holidays are traditionally the most family-oriented time of year. If you are from the US, November to January is just crammed full of opportunities to take that well-earned break from work, sleep in, and see some loved ones. But, what at first seems like a time filled with love and laughter can often become coloured with sadness and loneliness when living abroad.
I have a large family, most of which live in my home state of Pennsylvania. Every holiday season over 30 of us gather for a traditional Halloween party, Thanksgiving buffet, and Christmas Eve celebration before spending Christmas day with our more immediate family – an intimate, private holiday with our closest loved ones. It is one of my most favourite times of year.
In September of 2023, I left Pennsylvania for the United Kingdom and have been living here full time since then. While I do visit PA, it is just too expensive to fly during the holiday season. I’ve spent the last two winters away from my family.
The Cairngorms, Scotland
The first holiday season was hard. I was still working on making friends, and the friends I did have went home to their families for Christmas. Ultimately, I spent most of my time alone in my flat watching holiday movies and drinking hot chocolate (I highly recommend Cadbury hot chocolate power – it’s better than any in the US!).
My second holiday season, Winter 2024, was much easier. I was prepared for the sadness, nostalgia, and homesickness that accompanied the season, and I knew it was difficult for my family as well. I was the only one not at home.
But over the course of the previous year, I had met even more friends from all over the world! I ended up spending some quality time with one of my best friends who also did not go back to her home country for the holidays.
While I video-chatting with my family quite a bit, I also was able to enjoy time with a friend, exchange cultural traditions, and explore new ways to celebrate the holidays that were unique to me.
Although the sadness was still there, the feeling of missing out on such an important time is always difficult to go through, it was also exciting as I could experience the holidays in a brand new way. I had the freedom to create my own traditions.
Living abroad for the holidays will always be challenging, but it presents an opportunity for adventures with new people that can be just as, if not more, enjoyable. There are new holiday movies to watch, different cultural foods to eat, and a variety of celebratory events to attend or traditions to participate in. For example, the Christmas markets across Europe attract hundreds of thousands of people each year and can be a fun day out individually or with friends! Or, if you find yourself in Australia for Christmas, I hear it is a popular tradition to spend the day on the beach with a seafood barbecue or go camping!
At the end of the day, the holidays are what you make of it. Whether you are at home with family or abroad by yourself, there are endless opportunities to experience as you forge your own path in the world.
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