Hello human beings! I'm blogging from New Jersey today! I meant to get on here earlier and wish you all the happiest of holidays, but I've been having the most wonderful time of my year back here at home, so I hadn't had the desire to stare at a laptop to make a post until now.  

I hope whatever holiday you celebrate was filled with joy and love this year, and I hope that if you celebrated Christmas, that it was a day not necessarily filled with gifts, but filled with warmth. Every year I think it was the best Christmas yet, but this year was something different.  

I've lived away from home for a few years now, between college, studying abroad, moving to Manhattan, and now, living in California.  I have gotten used to the being away part, but up until this year, none of that separation ever felt permanent.  I was always coming back.  College had an expiration date, as did studying abroad.  In New York I was never more than an hour away from my parents' door.  But now, there isn't an expiration date for my time in Los Angeles, and there isn't an hour long trip to my front door.  The distance feels more permanent.  That is why I chose to make my trip home two and a half weeks long.  I wanted to soak up every second of every ounce of family time.  Now that I'm here, two and a half weeks feels uncomfortably too short.  

I feel so lucky this holiday season.  Lucky to have parents whose support never goes out of style; lucky to have such a warm and welcoming home to come back to; lucky to be able to see my two grandmothers who are basically warriors and have taught me so much about strength; lucky to have a brother that is my teammate when it comes down to it; lucky to have a loud Italian family that makes me laugh harder and smile bigger; and lucky to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.  My Christmas was so full of heart and love and joy and acceptance and warmth and praise and happiness; I only hope the same for all of you.  

Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!