This is our second year spending Christmas in Mexico, and we celebrate in a very reserved way here. We don’t put up a tree, and gift giving is minimal. While I wish we could spend this time with family and friends – there is so much about the holiday season that I don’t miss:
The snow and cold (obviously).
The Christmas carols that start playing December 1st.
The never-ending crowds at the shopping malls.
The stress of trying to buy gifts for people who have everything.
I am really not an Ebenezer Scrooge – I just don’t feel overly excited about Christmas anymore. It might be partially because Katy is grown but I suspect it has more to do with our “hobo” lifestyle. John and I have lived for the past 12 months with a bare minimum of belongings, and haven’t felt that we have gone without. I realize what an over-indulgent lifestyle we had, often associating satisfaction with “materialistic stuff”. Sad and embarrassingly true. This past year has taught me that experiences are far more satisfying than possessions. There is no price that I can put on our trip across Canada, and all the amazing places we saw. If I could wrap up that journey and gift it, I would. Best I can do is tell you to get out and see the world. Meet the residents, eat local foods, maybe even try to learn some words in a foreign language. Instead of more presents, think of memorable family experiences – museums, car trips, vacations, or volunteer at a soup kitchen.
“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”
― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Gilbertson Gypsy 