Long term relationships gradually mean you have fewer firsts than you used to, which can be great because you have so many magical memories together, but it also means that it can be easy to fall into a routine. My boyfriend and I are definitely the routine type when we create a tradition we stick to it and it can be very hard for us to try new things. Which is what ended up making our first Christmas officially living together so magical. So, let’s go back one year! When I was probably overexcited and had piles of decorations I had picked up over the years, I couldn’t wait and it’s probably a good thing I didn’t, because I had a bit more space then I had anticipated. I knew we needed to go on a holiday trip, I knew we needed to create our own traditions that we couldn’t create before, and I had the highest of expectations.
We bought our first tree, we had a slight disagreement about the process of putting up said tree, we hung ornaments, bought new decorations, I was doing pretty well financially at the time and loaded up on as many presents as I could get my hands on, we baked cookies, and went on our first holiday trip to Stockbridge, Pennsylvania. Nothing could have made it more perfect, or so I thought. I had finally had to perfect Christmas with my guy. Christmas eve and Christmas day had their bumps as they do once you are adding everyone else into the holiday craziness, but still I will always look back on that holiday season as almost perfect.
You may ask why, I decided even though we where exceptionally happy and everything went better then I hoped why I say almost perfect. And that is because, this Christmas right now, this is perfect. Which means last year can’t be perfect too, can it? I have realized through much of my life I strove for the idea of a perfect Christmas, and now that I have achieved twice, two very different but perfect Christmases, this one slightly more exceptional then the last, I have realized there is no such thing as a perfect Christmas. The year I get married will be a perfect Christmas, the year my first child is born will be a perfect Christmas. So, none of them are perfect. But they are exactly right.