This past year was an interesting one, to say the least. My parents and sister were living in Estonia, while I was back in Canada studying at university. I absolutely loved my first year of studies, but observing from a distance as my family travelled around Europe did invoke some jealous tendencies. From a day trip to Finland to a week skiing in Germany, I sat in my dorm room scrolling through my mom’s abundance of family photos on Facebook. So, when my parents asked me if I would be comfortable travelling for Christmas instead of spending my break at home in Estonia, I was quick to say “of course!” with an unmatchable grin on my face!
I had just signed on to spend more time in an airplane and airports than I did sleeping in my own bed, but when you live in Europe and have the chance to travel, you have to make the most of it.
We had the most amazing holiday in Egypt. From scuba diving in Santa hats to visiting tombs and bouncing along in a caravan across the desert, it was a Christmas I will never forget. Although we didn’t have our turkey dinner, or sit in front of the fireplace with the smell of freshly brewed coffee surrounding us, it was by far the best Christmas I have ever had. It is the crazy adventures like these, filled with laughter and memories that make me feel like the luckiest young woman in the world.
At the end of the day, it is not where you celebrate your holidays or how you celebrate them, but who you are with that really counts. Spending Christmas Day lounging on the beach with my parents and splashing in the waves with my sister made me realize it was not what we did or ate that made Christmas so special, but that we were together. As I lay by the pool on the last day of our holiday, I couldn’t stop thinking how grateful I was for my family and the amazing experiences we have had together. Check out some photos below!
When it was time to go, I boarded my first of three planes for my journey back to university and I couldn’t help but think "I hope this is not one of the last times I will be doing a transatlantic flight.” There’s still plenty for me to see and explore but sitting in that plane, listening to the quiet chatter of foreign languages around me, I felt beyond happy and grateful for having made the most of my time in Europe and being able to share these experiences with my wonderful family.