Sunday, September 13, 2009

A Sunny Christmas

I'm a bit bummed. I don't think I can afford to go home this winter. It will be the very first Christmas I have ever spent away from my mom, dad, and sister, ever. My dad is VERY UPSET.

There are a few reasons why I shouldn't go. Here they are, neatly categorized:

A) Time Off


  1. One of my best friends is coming to NZ to visit me next February.
  2. I think my friend is coming back to pick up her stuff in December. We're definitely doing a road trip (South Island?), but I am going to talk to her to try and get over to Oz while she's Down Under.
  3. I may need to go back to the East Coast for a friend's wedding sometime next spring-summer. Not sure yet, but if his wedding is in March and I spend a month at home in December...DOES NOT COMPUTE.
B) Money

  1. I'm trying to save up to get my mom and sister out here. (My dad can't come because of his illness--he wouldn't be able to make it on a plane for 24 hours, and he has to sleep hooked up to an oxygen machine.) My sister definitely can't pay to come out here, and my mom is struggling to salvage her retirement after the banks stole it all. So, it's up to me. The less money I spend on going back home for Christmas, the more I have to get them out here.
  2. Tickets right now are about $500 NZD over my budgeted amount of $2,500. They don't look like they're going anywhere but up anytime soon, either.
C) The weather:

  1. Except for the Christmas stuff, being at home in the winter isn't fun. Can't go outside, it's too cold. It doesn't snow often, either. I end up just holing up in my room and doing much of nothing while the rest of my family works/sleeps/is in therapy. Friends are usually busy doing family stuff or traveling over the holidays. Bleh.
  2. Summer in NZ is, to put it succinctly, AWESOME. And short. Winters here are so incredibly depressing. I don't want to miss a month of perfect weather and travel opportunities!
So there you have it. Seven reasons why I should NOT go home for Christmas and New Year's this year. There is only one reason to go home (family), but it is holding its own pretty well against these other very good, logical 7 reasons. Plus, I don't want to be alone on Christmas Day!

Whatever shall I dooooo?

1 comment:

Revanche said...

I'm sorry all the lines are against your coming home for Christmas, but I think they are all fairly good ones. Perhaps you should take a page from Notes from the Frugal Trenches' Christmas.

After all, you're only going to be in NZ for a limited time.