The Traveller with no Christmas
A short story, surrounded by kitsch but no spirit.
I am a person who, after years of despising it, really likes Christmas. One of the things that disgusted me about it — and still does in a way — is the commerce, that’s being celebrated around it. After some years, though, I’ve decided, I wouldn’t let the modern day capitalism destroy my holidays, and started focussing on the things that Christmas originated from: Being sussounded by your loved ones and spending quality — to be fair also a lot of argumentative — time with each other.
But this year will be different. Not because I started focussing on the packed shopping streets again, but because I will, in fact, not be home for Christmas.
Right now, I am sat at Starbucks, listening to a Samba version of “Deck the Halls” and a Jazz version of “My favourite things”, a song from one of my favourite Musicals. An occasional glimpse in the direction of the plastic Christmas chaplet, that’s hung by the big window front, only reminds me of the palm trees behind it.
The Starbucks I’m in, is located in Valencia, Spain.
About two months ago, my paths led me back on the road, exploring the world again. I’ve had nomadic tendencies for years, but the last three of them, I’ve at least had the chance of spending the holidays with my family. But this time, I’m travelling with my van, and it’s not so easy to just get a plane back to Austria.
You know, I really don’t like the Austrian Winter. It’s cold, wett, cloudy, you hardly ever get to see the sun, and I’m not very fond of snow either — and it usually doesn’t decide to fall around Christmas anyway.
But with the very sunny 22°C, I’m enjoying right now, it’s hard for me to believe, it’s only six days left until Christmas.
I have to note, that the countries in the South of Europe really give their best, when it comes to decoration. Maybe a bit too much of their best, if you ask me.
In Marseille, France, I chuckled about all the fake snow, that was surrounding me. They are so desperate for snow, and I’m happy I could escape from it. That’s what I thought back then, while wandering along the Christmas market by the harbour, inhaling a weird mixture of waffle and fish fumes.
Entering Spain, I got to see more and more palm trees, covered in fairy lights. Lovely, but my brain wouldn’t accept it as Christmas decoration.
Generally, the further you go South, the more kitsch you will encounter. And that being said by somebody from Austria… That’s gotta mean something. But maybe it’s just the controversial high temperatures and Christmas decorations.
I do work on a small surprise for my family. And I do listen to Christmas music. But none of it make me feel it. It’s just like Christmas has been erased from my mind, this year.
I’m going to be in the Mountains near Málaga for Christmas. Celebrating with people from the UK and Canada. I will be seeing snow on the mountain tops. And most likely I’ll even have some sort of Christmas tree.
Hopefully, that — in combination with a Skype call with my family — will make me feel the holiday spirit. And yet, at the same time, I’m wondering, if it’s not just my subconscious mind, repelling the Christmassy emotions in the first place.
Maybe it’s better, to just skip them, this year? Maybe, just maybe it’s better not to feel Christmas at all, when the essentials — the people you love — are not around? After all: It could be a very sad Christmas, right?
And while I’m writing these last words, and “Walking in a Winter wonderland” starts to ringeling from the speakers, I go back to the mindset, that I usually follow:
Who knows, what’s gonna happen tomorrow — or at Christmas, for that matter — let’s enjoy the moment.
This very weird combination of Summer holiday and Christmas decoration has a charm to it, that makes me giggle. That might not be the Christmas, as I know it, but it is a positive feeling after all.
And whether I’ll be sad at Christmas eve or not… Who cares. It’s still a feeling of Christmas. Just experienced… differently.
PS.: If you would like to know, if I did have a Christmassy Christmas after all, I’ll be posting a video a couple of days later on About Wings.
