Merry Nomadic Christmas 2008
Posted on 24 December 2008 by Justin
Natalie and I would like to wish all of our loyal (and not so loyal) readers, as well as our friends and family a very Merry Christmas. Wherever you’re at in the world, I trust that this year you will appreciate what you have and, if you get a chance, have a glass of wine, a cup of good American style coffee or a tasty beer and remember Natalie and I fondly.
The Illusion of Christmas
I understand that Christmas means different things to different people. Some, celebrate Christmas by making odd little gingerbread house cookies with gum drop gutters, while others chop down their own tree and stay up late on Christmas Eve playing Texas hold’em while drinking round after round of vodka tonics with their grandma. If you have a Christmas tradition, that does not conclude with a felony charge, than I say go for it. In fact, feel free to comment and share. For me, Christmas is just not Christmas without snow (or at the very least, cold). Family members and friends should show up with a mild case of hypothermia on Christmas Day so as to lend a sense of urgency to the celebration. Christmas also involves a tree choked full of decorations, homemade cookies, and my mother puttering around the house with a goofy grin on her face (my mom loves Christmas the way New Zealanders love rugby: with a singular focus that borders on fanaticism but comes across as surprisingly normal.) Accenting family traditions, the Christmas season involves Christmas light displays, annoying holiday songs on the radio, kids getting out of school for Christmas break, and a general sense of festivity that seems to infect everyone, including the old cat lady down the street.
Christmas in New Zealand is just… different. No snow. Almost no Christmas Trees (it is illegal to cut your own). Very few decorations and a general lack of holiday cheer. Thinking about it now, I think Americans get more excited about Halloween than Kiwis do about Christmas. I understand that New Zealanders on the whole are an emotionally restrained people, but the lack of Christmas spirit in this place is difficult not to notice. I am sure that many Kiwis have Christmas traditions and rowdy family gatherings so I do not mean to be disapproving of how New Zealanders celebrate Christmas. It is simply that the lack of Christmas here in Te Anau, where the sun is shinning and the show is melting off the mountains, makes me miss home.
Nothing says Christmas like family, and this Christmas both Natalie and I are finding ourselves thinking fondly of the chaotic Christmases of the past. Families make life complicated but they are all the better because of it. So, as long as you can celebrate Christmas without ending up in jail, enjoy your family traditions (or the traditions of whatever country you happen to live in currently) and have a Merry Merry Christmas 2008.
Tags | New Zealand
Hey guys! I see your having fun! I just wanted to say Merry Christmas!!! I hope you have a great one!! I like the sailboat in your picture, did you get to go sailing??
As I put up the tree I remember how much you like decoration also. Do you remember “Hark its Herald”?
I am eating too many cookies cause you are not here.
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to you two!
We have record snowfall and frigid temps! Enjoy the sunshine and each other as you celebrate His birthday! Santa has left your Christmas presents in Michigan because he couldn’t find you. So, some day when your nomadic travels end and you find your way back to the USA, your Santa gifts will be waiting for you!
Patriot, Yukon, Bunny, Bocci and Bogo send their Holiday drool and purrs.
Love, Mom (Debbers)
@Krystle – Merry Christmas to you as well. The boat that we went out on, to cruise the Milford Sound, did have sails. They put the sails up while we were out but I think it was more for show than anything else. I was hoping we would just use the sails but that would have taken a long time I guess. Thanks for reading along!
@Mom – I love “Hark Its Herald”! That little guy always makes me think of Christmas. I am unfamiliar with the phrase “too many cookies”. This describes a situation that I know to be impossible so I am sure you meant something else.
Thanks for making our New Zealand Christmas very memorable! We look forward to reading your travelogue. Remember, you are very welcome to stay with Rex and I in Singapore when you decide to explore that area.
@Lisa Reinke and Rex Polley – Thanks so much Lisa! You and Rex are two of the most interesting and fun people we have met at the lodge. After Justin mentioned Rex he described your husband, “the Fort Collins, Colorado native” as someone he would love to have dinner with and learn about Rex’s life.
Thank you so much for the invitation. We will look forward to visiting the two of you in Singapore. I might even have to make some delicious Italian food for us. My grandma would be proud!
@debbers – @debbers – Thanks Mom (Debbers) and everyone else who wished us a Merry Nomadic Christmas.
Get ready for 09, the last year we will be able to say “O” preceding the year number. And personally, “10″ just doesn’t sound as fun as “09″.
2009, it’s so fine!
Just before Christmas every year, my family has a whole day dedicated to making cookies (cookie day). Justin, you’d love this, it’s all sorts of crazy, people everywhere, loudness, laughing, and best tons and tons of cookies. If/when you come back to Colorado, you have an invitation to the Baron/Williams/Dean/Archer/Nira/Avila/Legner cookie day. We also get together at my uncle Victor’s house every Christmas Eve for celebrations, fairly similar to cookie day, only there’s always more alcohol there.
Thanks for writing about this. There’s a bunch of good tech info on the internet. You’ve got a lot of that info here on your site. I’m impressed – I try to keep a couple blogs pretty on-going, but it’s a struggle sometimes. You’ve done a great job with this one. How do you do it?
It was much easier to create content when we were traveling every day. In many ways, blogging was a part of our reflective processes and a way that we were able to think about, and process, the many different experiences that we experienced every day. Now that we have been state side for almost a year, the day to day monotony (or at least the lack of daily travel) has really put a damper on our overall motivation to generate additional content.