twelve

Busch Garden, Christmasland (or whatever it is called!)

I love countdowns. Sometimes the anticipation for an event is even better and more exhilarating than the actual event. The nerves, the planning, the hype, it’s easy to get wrapped up in it all. And to be honest, most of the time, it’s all a lot of fun.

When I was in college my sister had just started high school. We are exactly four years apart as far as school is concerned. At 18 and 14 I thought I was missing some optimal bonding experiences by being away at school; I used to have dreams of us older and becoming friends, of shopping trips, and lunches out, and of me driving us to all our destinations. I wanted to be the cool older sister terribly.

As you already know, I love the holidays. LOVE THEM. So around Christmas time I get really giddy and jolly (yes, I am one of those people who hums along to the Christmas music playing in Target) and want to spread Christmas cheer to everyone.

Ok, so my first year of college I started this thing with my sister. I’m not really sure who started it first, probably me though, I love things like this. I called it (ever so originally) “The Twelve Days Before Mary Came Home.” Just like “The Twelve Days of Christmas” it was a countdown, but we came up with our own stuff. We usually call him our very rich lover/husband/boyfriend and make up the randomest of things: Prada bags, cookies, trips, rings, shoes. It was an opportunity to be silly, to banter back and forth, and to have fun on our terms.

The first year was probably the best. We did it the following three years, some years it was more haphazard than others, but a couple of days were celebrated with this little tradition.

This year I’m not going home, and so my dear LC, we are going to have to countdown to Christmas Day. Today marks day twelve.

On the twelfth day before Christmas my very rich significant other gave to me, 12 pounds of Godiva chocolate.

Let the games begin. ;)

Next year we will countdown to when I come home. It will be just like it was and we will all reconvene in California and squeeze into Mom and Dad’s apartment. Epic-ness ensues (373 days). 

For now, put your thinking cap on and let’s see how creative we can get!

P.S. LC and I did and do take shopping trips (we critique each other’s style choices and end up buying jewelry from Forever 21), eat lunch out (remember the mani/pedi/Chick-fil-A day? That was kind of wonderful) though it’s usually LC who does the driving. LOL