A life journey blog from the perspective of an average 30 something year old living in ̶C̶a̶l̶i̶f̶o̶r̶n̶i̶a̶ North Carolina.
N̶o̶t̶ Home For The Holidays
Get link
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
When you move over 5,000 miles away from Family and Friends, you need to put in extra effort to make sure the Holiday season is just as memorable as the Holidays you had back home. This year we waited until the last minute to put up our Christmas tree. With a newly walking baby in the house, we had to childproof the tree and refrained from hanging up ornaments. So, we opted for some tinsel and homemade felt ornaments. We also hung up our lights on Christmas Eve. This was going to be our first white Christmas or so we thought. The forecast week the week of the 25th showed a slight chance of snow. When it didn't snow, I hoped on the inter-webs and looked for some Christmassy things we could do in the Triad.
THE POLAR EXPRESS™
2022 was the reopening of the Polar Express train ride since Covid closure in 2020.
"The 1¼ hour round-trip passenger excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot". With all the hype surrounding the reopening, we weren't able to secure tickets in time, so we missed out on this experience, but we'll be ready next year!
THE TANGLEWOOD FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
This was another one we didn't attend but that was of our choosing. One of the ladies in my running group recommended the Tanglewood Light Festival but warned that the wait times are very long. Tanglewood is described as: a rolling countryside that transforms each holiday season into a shimmering Winter Wonderland with more than a million twinkling lights aglow. Entering its 32nd season, the Festival of Lights at Tanglewood Park is open nightly from 6-11 p.m. starting Nov. 17, 2023, through Jan. 1, 2024. Attendees take in the spectacular sights while listening to festive tunes on the interactive musical displays, with original compositions from the UNC School of the Arts students. Enjoy more than 80 displays along the winding countryside route. Although it sounds beautiful, look at the con
HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY CHRISTMAS DRIVE-THRU
Lights, Decorations and Freebies, could it get any better, oh yeah it can, it's free! We did participate in the High Point Xmas Drive-thru. HPU welcomes families to a complimentary Christmas Drive celebration to enjoy the sights and sounds of the holiday season. Families, friends, and neighbors are invited to join in the traditions at the drive-through event from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19 through Sunday, Jan. 1.
Christmas was a 10/10 because we claimed it so. Sure, it was different from any Christmas season we had before, but we know what to expect for next year. Here's to hoping there is snow in our future! Before you go, check out the video below of Amara playing the first Noel. Happy Holidays!
Whew... What isn't there to say about 2022. I'll start at the beginning but let me preface that Blogger/Blogspot does not mark when there are grammatical errors so forgive me in advance if some things end up misspelled because I am too lazy to re-read through my post before posting. Amara and I celebrated the New Year by watching the firework show at Great America. We unfortunately too late to make into the park before the show but we got a good view from the parking lot across the street. I mean they’re in the sky so pretty much any spot was good. We had rung in the New Year by practicing the usual NYE superstitions/traditions. We had black eyed peas, drank ginger-ale, and made sure to kick Jonathan outside the house before midnight and made sure he had cash in this wallet before he stepped back inside the house. Oh and of course we kissed. As a family we shared our resolutions for 2022 and collectively hoped for a prosperous year. On January 8th, we went up to Mare Island
Boy, was I not ready to go back to work fulltime. Aside from the annoying ever-changing mandates and 24hr businesses suddenly switching to 12hr working days, the time spent away from work was amazing. I mean, I was still working during this time but a few days a week were remote and that truly helped me cope with the transition. This year, we moved, again. We've lived in Silicon Valley for the past 5 years and have moved a total of 4 TIMES!?! Mainly due to the ever increasing cost of housing in this area. I frequently use craigslist to find a good deal for apartments because places offer first month discounts. We're in a nice, quiet townhouse where everyone has their own bathroom and we have a in-home washer/dryer. The only complaint I have are the stairs....I hate stairs!! Yes, the former athelete hates stairs. My husband says to think about it as built-in exercise equipment but Lord, our next spot has to be 1 story open concept, hopefully our next spot is our last spot...
Comments
Post a Comment