Holiday Spirit from Ecuador to the U.S.A. with Love

The Gift of Ecuador

Maybe it’s because I have brightly colored Christmas presents on the brain, but the South American leg of our journey seemed to wrap itself up nicely, with a bow!  Our little family had found ourselves in that end zone of savoring last moments, counting blessings, and discussing “favorites”–adventures, places, people.  It was already time to leave a new home we had grown to love.

We had been living in the small, expat-heavy village of Vilcabamba, Ecuador for three months.  The end was in sight, and December had arrived too quickly.  As I swung on my patio’s hammock in a sundress, sipping strong local coffee, part of me didn’t want to leave our simple, charming life in the valley of eternal spring.  Who doesn’t like waking up to birdsong?  Do you ever get used to gazing at these gorgeous, green mountains?   Will I regret leaving this abundance of fresh fruit growing on every tree?  Will I miss the low cost of living for a high quality of life?  Oh, and my self proclaimed stint of much needed decompression and low productivity was also coming to an end.  It would soon be time to rev up The Travel Creatives…

An Unexpected Rush of Christmas Spirit

We had to go.  Visas were on the brink of expiration.  Multiple plane tickets had been purchased and were non-refundable…  Programmed to find silver lining in every situation, I had to face our inevitable departure.  My coping mechanism was to be struck with a serious case of Christmas spirit–one that rivaled that of a five year-old staying up late for a glimpse of Santa.   For this reason, and only this reason, I was ready (and partially eager) to leave Ecuador in search of the fantasy American Christmas that I brushed aside most of my life.  Well, OK, a parasite cleanse might also be in order…

Ignoring the Elephant in the Room

I can scoff at extreme consumerism with the best of them.  Yes, the holidays back home can get disgustingly gluttonous if you want to focus on that side of things.  For the last three months I had also been immersed in the land of expats and conspiracy theorists enjoying simplicities of South America while comparing it to North America–and some growling at “the man”.  It would be all too easy to fall into such negative trappings and ignore the beauty of the holiday spirit and how joyfully it can be expressed back home.

Living in Wonder

The “American Christmas” I speak of is not one of grown-up sensibilities or jadedness.  I speak of a fantastical, childlike take on the season.  The holiday spirit I find myself obsessed with is really one of simple pleasures–family, lights, food, and snow!  I’m in the headspace to sustain peace in my heart almost continuously (at least through the end of the year ) and hum carols throughout the day.  I knew I was heading up to D.C. and Ohio to spend my first holiday outside of Texas.  I knew it would be cold and I didn’t even care.  Like one big cliche, I longed for a genuine white Christmas.  And, as I sit here in the snowy Ohio countryside on Christmas Eve, feeling like I’m in a postcard, I’m thrilled to announce that I found it!

The Ghosts of Christmas’s Past

I ran a retail store in Texas for the last 13 Christmases!  I loved my business, but it left little space for holiday pleasures.  My focus during every last quarter of the year (especially from Black Friday to New Year’s Eve) was business.  All my energy was poured into the shop so I’d rarely even put up a Christmas tree at home.  Christmas was more about money than about family for most of my adult life.  The thrill was gone!

This is the first time I have approached December entirely relaxed.  We returned to the States on December 15th.  I had 10 days to live it up.

Gratitude to the Places I’ve Been in 2011

Thank you, Hawaii.

This might be out of the blue in this post, but we spent the first part of the year on the Big Island of Hawaii.  Hawaii opened me up to magic and pure potentiality.  The Travel Creatives was birthed out of the volcanoes of Pele and is destined to spread around the world!

Thank you, Ecuador.

I have found my quiet center while in the mountains with my itty, bitty family, and around kind, new friends.  Life is connecting with loved ones.  Love is togetherness.

Ecuador brought me Pachamama, Mother Earth!

Thank you, U.S.A.

I saw the national tree in D.C. and snapped dorky photos in front of a charming, snowy White House last week with my family.  In that moment, everything was at peace.  I was glad to touch base with home, but ready to take on Europe in a few weeks!

Thank you, Virginia.

I visited my sister, her husband, and met my first niece.  We strolled through a giant, bustling mall in Alexandria overflowing with “stuff” and decorations.  I had no desire to buy anything, but the experience of luxurious abundance was an unexpected pleasure.  Compared to my last three months in rural Ecuador, everyone at the mall seemed like a rich and famous supermodel, stylish and confident, dripping with expensive toys.  The contrast was delicious.

Thank you, Ohio.

I witnessed the full moon casting a blue hue on fields of snow for the first time.  Holiday lights sparkled from every farm house.  Live Christmas trees flanked with snow glistened along rolling hills.  John and I belted out snow songs, in harmony.  It was fun and genuine, and I didn’t act snarky.

Thank you, Texas.

…for the foundation of my life.  I’m moving on…  I am with my husband and baby in Ohio visiting his family.  Rain is back home in Texas with my family, but I know she is well.  All is good.  We’ll be back together very soon.

Thank you, friends and readers

for following The Travel Creatives in 2010.  It was a year of finding our footing and testing our voice.  We’re taking things to the next level in 2011.  I appreciate your support and wish you all a peaceful holiday season and a Happy New Year!  Were you feeling the holiday spirit this year, too??  Talk to me!

Tagged as: christmas, christmas d.c., christmas spirit, christmas white house, D.C., Ecuador, holiday spirit, living in ecuador, Vilcabamba, white christma, white house