I grew up away from my extended family and in the 1980s and 1990s the distance between New England and California might as well have been New England to Singapore. I didn’t know any different. My Christmases always felt abundant in love from our “friends who were family” in California and for everything we did leading up to and surrounding the holidays. 

I now understand and appreciate that my Christmases were special because my parents created traditions. Our family traditions have changed over the years as our location, age and circumstances have changed but the magic has remained year after year. 

Singapore is a little island in Southeast Asia, known as the Little Red Dot. It is a bit of a utopia - it is super clean, super safe, covered in palm trees and sunny most days. There are definitely times when I have to pinch myself that this is real life. Singapore is mostly jungle and is home to some crazy wildlife, including about 5.5 million people. We have everything here - beaches, urban hiking, jungle, city center, restaurants, playground, theater, museums and so much more. During normal times, Singapore's Changi airport is a bustling hub offering amazing amenities for people visiting or just transiting through.

Living abroad has so many ups and so many downs. Life can look like a constant vacation but we still deal with all the real life stuff. The difference is that we don’t have a “normal” support system in place.