There's no place like home for the holidays

 I am currently sitting in the Denver airport, waiting for my flight to Calgary. I have learned 3 things in the past few hours:

1. I like traveling alone. You can eat when you want to eat, do what you want to do, make friends, and explore airports. 
2. I don't understand how people travel with small children. And I can't imagine how difficult it must be to be a parent with a crying child on an airplane.
3. Free wifi is an incredible gift, and I love airports that provide it (that's you Calgary and Denver!)

Anyway, I am on my way home for 30 glorious hours of snow, friends, and festive cheer. And, even if it is only 30 hours, and I don't have time to see even close to everyone I want to see, I am SO excited! Like last year, I had a very hard time getting into the festive spirit in Nashville. The lack of snow, family, and any form of tradition just puts up a blocker for me. I know, traffic in the snow sucks. And yes, the novelty of pink cheeks in -25 wears really thin after the first day. But there is still something about running through the crisp, cold air bundled up in your toque and mittens and dipping into Starbucks for a gingerbread latte to warm you up while Christmas shopping that is lost when you can reasonably go outside in just a hoodie. This year was also made more complicated by the fact that work was insanely busy, so my stress level has been a little higher than usual...I even tried to get festive. I went to the Radio City Christmas show, walked around the Opryland lights, spent most weekends in December shopping for Christmas gifts, turned on the Songza Christmas playlist, and heard choirs sing carols at the Cathedral. No dice - Christmas in Nashville just doesn't work for me.

"Winter" in Nashville

The good news is - last year I also spent a day before Christmas, and found myself INSTANTLY festive by the sight of the huge tree my roommates had put up in my condo. And tomorrow, I am spending the day hopefully shopping, being chilled, and drinking Starbucks with my friend Andrea, before going to Travis and Katie's new home for a combined housewarming and Christmas party! I am literally filling those 30 hours before boarding my Saturday morning fight to Maui to be with my family!

For the holidays you can't beat home, sweet home. Except maybe with Maui, when all of your family is there. But the Carpenters couldn't make that rhyme.