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German Christmas

Reflecting on Christmas in Germany

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REFLECTING ON CHRISTMAS IN GERMANY

Happy New Year, dear readers!  I hope you had wonderful holidays and enjoyed good food and company!  I just got back a few days ago from my vacation in Germany. While it was amazing to see many friends and family after more than three years, I am so happy to be surrounded by sunshine again.  

Let me tell you, from the 16 days I was in my homeland, at least 14 of them were covered by grey clouds.  At least my mood was full of sunshine as I was excited to relax and also spend some great quality time with people that are very close to me.   And even though I keep saying that I don’t see myself living in Germany again, it is always hard leaving family and friends behind when it’s time to go back home. [Read more…] about Reflecting on Christmas in Germany

White Christmas – Just a Bleak Memory?

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With temperatures warm like in summer I have a hard time to get into  the right mood for Christmas. As much as I enjoy the sun generally, my traditional clock works differently: Christmas needs to happen in real winter and winter needs to look white and feel cold.

Despite the warm temperatures in Southern California, there is after all some snow to find, even if it is man made… It just means a two to three hour drive to places such as Big Bear, Mountain High, Mt. Baldy or Snow Valley Ski Resort, which is supposedly famous for getting more natural snow than any other Southern California resort. The snowboarding and skiing season has definitely started! But even locations like Lake Arrowhead or Idyllwild have sported snow already this season and presented themselves already all in white. In fact we went to Idyllwild in November and had our first completely unprepared snow experience! Having left the beach cities at moderate temperatures , the weather changed within one day completely once at Idyllwild, and it began snowing through the night, without stopping until the next day. In disbelief we realized that we actually got snowed in!

Who said there can’t be a White Christmas  in Southern California…? I guess I have to thoroughly revise my comment and plan to spend Christmas in the mountains. I am determined: this year we’ll relive my memories of a white Christmas!