Go home for Christmas

I enjoy my celebrating Christmas each year with my wife and son … but one of these days I would like to load up the car full of presents and drive across the country and spend the holidays with our friends and families out West. Listening to music, snacking along the way and delivering presents seems like an ideal, memorable holiday.

It appears as though this will happen. I just need the stars to align, and for nothing crazy to happen at the Honor Guard.

I am an Armywife. I I am a stay at home mom and I want to surprise my family with a trip home for christmas

...not by plane, but by car! My boyfriend, one of my good friends, and I drove 875 miles home from Kentucky to Florida! My boyfriend is from KY but myself and my friend are from Florida. (I didn’t actually drive, they did!) We’ve been here since the 20th and are returning to Kentucky on the 6th. It’s been a wonderful Christmas and an awesome little vacation. My parents are trying to sell their house so this may be my last Christmas in the house that I’ve grown up in.. possibly my last time here ever. Coming home for Christmas was the best present my boyfriend could have ever given me this year. I’m so glad we got to do it!

Soooooooooo excited to make it back to the states for Christmas, its been way too long. Now, listening to Christmas carols won’t make me feel sad and bitterly nostalgic, but excited. I’m a little overwhelmed about the return to america, but hopefully the holiday rush and super size won’t be too daunting.

The trip home was fantastic – everyone was there for Christmas. Nonna cooked up an absolute storm and the food was fabulous (thanks Nonna!). Just spent a lot of time relaxing, talking, going for walks. I came back to Japan feeling very relaxed :)

arriving in eastcombe city only 2 hours later than planned. we were so lucky.
it’s the first time i’ve ever come to england in the winter to find it colder than berlin. whatever happened to continentality and the moderating influence of the sea?
very happy to be here.

surrounding london heathrow, this may be slightly more difficult than anticipated.

but i remain of good cheer and hopefulness.

6 more sleeps!

This will be my second Christmas away from home. Given the state of my relationship with my boyfriend last year around this time and all we were going through I’m sure this Christmas will be much better than last year’s even if I’m not going “home”. My relationship now is better than ever and my boyfriend and I are both thrilled about spending the holiday together in joy and love instead of sadness and confusion. We’ll spend the day with his parents and brother and I’m sure we’ll have a great time. Plus, I’ve gotten to the point now where I do feel like this IS my home. But I miss the Michigan snow. I miss the fireplace crackling and the hot cocoa after coming in from the freezing weather. I miss scraping the piles of snow and ice off of my windshield even! I miss my mom and step-dad and step-brother. Most of all I miss my brother. Even as I sit here typing this I tear up.

I did apply for a new position in a different department at work – one that doesn’t black out vacation from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day like where I am now. And if I get it next year I’m flying home for the holidays, but I’m going to surprise them. Just show up on my mom’s doorstep with a big bow pasted on my shirt. And for now the fantasy of being able to do that is enough to get me through.