Homesick for the Holidays

When you’re an expat, homesickness doesn’t only happen around the holidays.  But at this time of year, it can often be felt more acutely.  Here, long-term expat Veronique Martin-Place of Writer Forever shows us how to get creative, embrace new traditions, honor where we come, and have lots of family fun this holiday season.

Celebrate the Here and Now

Home is where the heart is, it has long been said, so the secret to minimizing feelings of homesickness is to put your heart into where you are right now.  Make a point of seeing the beauty in your surroundings, including the fact that, removed from myriad family obligations, you can now design your holiday celebrations to suit your preferences.

Being on your own as an expat family means, for instance, that you’re free of dinner commitments with your in-laws or parents and extended family, which can frankly be liberating.  So take it easy and breathe in and breathe out.  This is going to be your best holiday season ever, as you create new traditions.  Cherish the time you have with only you, your spouse, and your children.  You’re making memories that will last a lifetime.

Go Native

Few remedies for homesickness are as surefire as having a great time wherever you happen to be.  So make a point of discovering local traditions, especially if you are new to Chicago.  Americans have an infectious holiday spirit, unleashing the bounds of their creativity, and Chicago offers a rich variety of holiday activities, especially for families.  To see the city at its most festive, I recommend the following:

• Book a holiday lights tour with Mary Edsey (www.christmashouses.com) and bring the family to the Lincoln Park Zoo at night to take in the ZooLights.
• Take a ride with Santa on the CTA Holiday Train.  Check the CTA website for detailed schedules: www.transitchicago.com/.
• Go caroling at Cloud Gate in Millennium Park.  Caroling refers to singing traditional Christmas songs, and it is a cherished tradition in Chicago.  Just go to the Bean on Friday evenings at 6:00 pm between Thanksgiving and Christmas to watch and listen to some soulful caroling groups or — better yet — join in!

The very best way to celebrate, however, is to create your own traditions, which can incorporate those of your home country and your current one.  If you’re reading traditional stories from your home country, don’t forget American classics too, like How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss, for instance.

Honor Your Home Country

Celebrating the holidays in a new way and in a new place doesn’t mean that you have to forget everything about your home country, of course.  As with many things, it’s a matter of striking a good balance.  No matter where you are, the holiday season is a time for cooking, sharing, and gathering, so let’s do it!  Here are some of my suggestions for honoring your homeland traditions in the midst of a new country and culture:

• Prepare very traditional recipes from your own country, with the whole family participating together.  Assign tasks to each family member, even the youngest one.  This way you can pass on culinary traditions while sharing quality time with your children and spouse.
• Share each of your new experiences with your family in your home country by sending pictures, writing emails or letters, or setting up video chats.  Ask them to do the same so your family can have a feeling of what festivities are taking place at home.
• Finally, gather with friends or families from your home country staying in Chicago.

Have a wonderful holiday season!

~By Veronique Martin-Place

Veronique is an expat, mother, and freelance writer currently living in Chicago.  She has relocated three times around the globe, with one move back to her home in France.  Veronique blogs about expat issues at http://expatforever.blogspot.com/ and has her own website: http://www.writerforever.com/.