For the past three years, I haven’t gone home for Christmas. There were a few reasons. First, plane tickets from Europe to the US around Christmas are hella expensive, and travel is a pain in the ass. Second, I usually had a longer two-break at the beginning of February, which I thought made more sense for a nice, long trip home. And finally, because Christmas in Europe is awesome.


I mean, what’s not to love? The whole holiday is built around bringing cheer and light to an otherwise gloomy and dark season. Pretty lights adorn everything. Christmas markets pop up everywhere, and while some countries do it better than others (coughNorthernEuropecough), who can object to hot wine and snacks? I do hate cold weather, but there’s nothing like holding a glühwein to keep your hands warm in the nippy air, or popping into a cute cafe decorated full of fairy lights to take temporary reprieve from the wind.

My first Christmas in Europe, I had planned to go to Bruges (because of the movie In Bruges) but the Polish immigration office had forgotten about my paperwork so I didn’t have a residency card. Instead of flying to Belgium, my friend Morgan and I took a bus to Vienna then worked our way up through Prague and finally to Berlin for New Year’s Eve. We got day drunk at several Christmas markets and ate our weight in wurst and langos and trdelnik and stollen (staple snacks of every Christmas market experience).



The next Christmas we finally got to see Bruges and quote movie lines like the lovable idiots we are (It’s a fucking fairy tale city!) and drink all the Belgian beer and eat all the Belgian chocolate. (No joke, I bought 80€ worth of Belgian chocolates to take home as presents that year.)

The rest of the holiday was spent in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, freezing our asses off in between stroopwaffels and Chinese steam buns at hipster Christmas markets.


My third Christmas was spent in Malta, where my friend Paolo and I decided to have a “Fancy Bitch Dinner” a la Broad City on Christmas Day, and he surprised me with an actual gift which made me feel really guilty ’cause I hadn’t bought him anything, but it was still so nice to feel like someone had been thinking of you enough to surprise you!

But even though I’ve spent three Christmases at three very different, lovely locations around Europe, I always get a bit depressed the day before. I listen to Frank Sinatra’s “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” on repeat, thinking about that last line: if only in my dreams.
I’m not Christian and Christmas is not particularly important to my parents, there’s still something about comforting and familiar about going home for the week of Christmas and New Year’s. Going home for the two weeks before Lent was just not the same. By which I mean to say, I’m so excited to have my 25˚C/85˚F Christmas in Los Angeles!

So many memorable Christmas adventures around Europe. Agree that Christmas in Europe is the best! 25 degrees and sunny, I sooo envy you. Have a great trip 🙂
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ooh!!! so pretty :,) it’s so fun that you’ve experienced different types of christmases.
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You might not believe it, but I have just gotten back from my crazy experience in Belgium (Bruges included) and I also spent 80 EUROS IN CHOCOLATE. I think there is something wrong with this nation that makes you lose yourself and that little conscience which prevents you from going bankrupt for simple chocolate.
But still, it’s not simple chocolate, so I absolutely not regret it.
And enjoy your well-deserved family time this Christmas~
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Oh it was well worth the 80 euros! Also about 60 euro of it was for gifts, only about 20 was what I ate myself 😅
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Myself as well! But luckly most of the gifted chocolate was for my family, and I succeeded eating most of it hehe :3
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Nice you get to go home ! Even if not for the holiday. I went home my first year away lol but i was hella homesick and very Christian, the others i traveled as well it’s nice seeing The holiday in other places
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Yeah, for me it was also the only time I had a good chunk of time off work so I wanted to get some traveling in. But I miss my friends and family, and its just so much easier to get everyone together for the holidays!
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80€ worth of chocolate – that’s impressive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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It’s not! It’s so easy to get carried away at the Belgian chocolate store!!
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Have fun at home with your family!
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Thanks!
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