Growing up, every year on December 26 my family would pile in a car and drive to Arizona.

Every year.

It was always a rental car (my dad worked for Budget Rent-a-Car) so Kevin and I never knew if we would have to sleep leaning against a car door, or curled up as small as possible on a bench seat.

I remember on the drives (to or from AZ), trying to look UP out the window to see all the stars visible when we were in the desert.

I remember driving across the desert, falling asleep to the voice of Garrison Keillor. Still love him, by the way.

My dad stretched the rule about when Christmas season is a bit to include the week up until New Year’s. Basically so we could listen to Christmas music on the 6 hour car ride to Phoenix.

We’d get there and spend a couple days w/ one of my aunts, a couple days with another, a couple days with a family friend. Driving all over town. Meeting all sorts of people, even if it was just for a couple hours.

While we did have plans with family/friends, we had a lot of down time too. When I was growing up, I remember thinking there was nothing to do in Phoenix besides watch movies and go to the movie theatre. I think I saw Titanic 2x during our week in Phoenix the year it came out (remember Lisa?).

We were generally in Phoenix for the whole week between Christmas and New Years – and crammed 4 more Christmas celebrations in those 6 or 7 days.

1. Mom’s family
2. Dad’s mom and family
3. Dad’s dad and family
4. Family friends

Keep in mind, that’s a minimum.

These get-togethers ALWAYS involved food. Lots of food. Usually involved gift-giving.

I won’t go into all the family traits and characteristics … suffice to say every year was basically the same. Just older. Less hair. More weight.

The most fun was always our family friends get-together (sorry cousins who read this) … My parents have best friends that they have known for years and years and years. Basically 4 families (including us) who get together every year. It’s so awesome. Definitely one of my favorite things about my parents.

It was with these friends one year that I first tasted coffee and liked it. Weird, I know, but still a memorable milestone.

Anyway – one of my favorite parts about the holidays.

I think I’m going to miss it this year, since Andrew and I are only going to be in Phoenix for 24 hours or so. … sad. Mom, if you’re reading this, I would like to see the Haugens, Thrushes and Thompsons on 12/27…

In spite of all this, the older I got, the more I wanted to be home for New Year’s Eve. In high school every year I SO wished I was home so I could go to a party with my friends.

Finally in my senior year, I talked my parents into driving back to CA on 12/31. I got to go to a party one of my friends hosted at his house. SO much fun. Improv games and laughing and all sorts of fun.

It was only a year or 2 after that that I realized how little I actually care about New Year’s Eve.

View all posts in the Journal your Christmas series