Christmas is weird this year. I thought it would be normal because I have been away from home for a while, but it is weird because I have never experienced a Christmas outside of Indiana.
Today, Christmas Eve, I borrowed a girl’s bike (she’s pretty awesome to let me borrow it), got to ride a little in this crazy city, and discovered how out of shape I am. The road conditions looked a lot like the scene in my blog from February 2016. Honestly, it’s about spot on. Haha. Life is good today.
This year, I missed (and will miss) a lot of things that I would consider normal. Choosing to cut down a Christmas tree while every other American finds good deals for Black Friday. Fighting about what should go on top of the Christmas tree that is already too tall for the room. Watching my dad strategically put a billion strands of lights on the tree. Setting up the nativity scene like I have always done. Quality time with the fam. SNOW. Christmas cookies from family friends and the only successful batch of peanut butter fudge. My dad’s homemade, printed breakfast menu on the kitchen counter when I wake up. Stockings, Amazon wishlists, and helping the kids play “santa and his elf” to pass out presents.
but…
Christmas here looks a little different. 8 Americans serving biryani and selling handmade bangles. Sitting at a coffee shop and listening to weird Jingle Bells remixes with some friends. Going out of your way to find brown paper to wrap presents to send back to the USA. Listening to Christmas music all hours of the day to make it feel like Christmastime. Wearing a saree to “semi-Christmas” celebrations and feeding the tiniest pieces of cake you’ve ever seen to people around you. Watching kid’s Christmas pageants in a foreign language. (Little kids are the same around the world, let me tell you. Styrofoam wings for the angel exist everywhere.) Riding a bus for 2.5 hours super early Christmas day to get to where your Indian mom lives so you can celebrate with some different friends.
Life in India is really, really good, and I am glad to be experiencing the holiday season here. It makes for a weird life, but I wouldn’t want to live a normal life anyway. My prayer for this holiday season is that the differences that I get to experience would make the normal traditions even more beautiful than they were before.
Family and friends, I miss you. Thanks for letting me go this year. See you in 6 months.
