I know we all have friends but the definition of friendship has taken on a new meaning for us this year.

When you leave home and everything you know and move half way across the world to a country where you know 3 people, friendship takes on a whole new meaning.

Here are some of my definitions of the perfect Christmas gift:

Friends you have met on your travels and when you return to their city, they welcome you into their homes, they have you round for supper,  take in your kids again, they have breakfasts for you and invite all your friends. They feed you with the best food you have ever had and treat you like family.

Friends who you have never met before, they take in your whole family for 10 days when you first arrive in Florida, they take you out for meals, they feed you, pray with you and show you the sights of this new city, all without hesitation

Friends who invite you round to watch Christmas movies 3 or 4 times a week, again they feed and water you and ask for nothing in return, except for maybe the odd bottle of “297″!

Friends who take you out for meals (when your budget doesn’t stretch that far) and buy you a Christmas Ham that feeds the family for a couple of weeks!

Extended-Family who invite you in and love you like friends.

Friends you have only met on Skype who invite you to stay and treat you like Family, trekking you to the local wonders of nature and including you in the family ritual of a can of Pop with the evening News.

Friends you meet that treat you like you have been friends for years. They put on farewell parties for you and genuinely seem sad that you are leaving. They have your kids for sleepovers (and trust you enough to let their kids stay with you) and don’t mind the funny accent.

Friends who introduce you to American traditions and include you in theirs like one of the family.

Friends who drag your kids face first through the snow and ice behind their ATV.

And my favourite definition of the Perfect Christmas gift:

Friends you have known for only a couple of months, (earlier in the year); 

• who invite you back to their house for Christmas for 2 whole weeks
• they pick you up from the Airport at 11.30 at night in the freezing snow
• they throw Christmas parties for you
• they feed you
• they build snowmen with you
• they take you out and show you all the Christmas Lights and decorations
• they feed you
• they treat your kids like their own
• they take you round all your old haunts so you can reminisce
• they feed you
• they spoil you rotten with lots of treats
• they put up with all of Phil’s terrible habits
• they feed you
• they make you feel so comfortable in their home sometimes you forget to use your manners
• they make Christmas plans that revolve around you
• they accept you as you are
• and most importantly…..  they genuinely make you feel like part of their family

This gift of friendship I have been given is one that I can carry home with me, doesn’t take up any room in the suitcase and something I am keen to return, but more than that, it’s the kind of gift that I can pass on to others without losing what I have been given.

So my Christmas wish for everyone this year is not one of beautifully wrapped presents under the tree (don’t get me wrong, I love those too!) but one of true friendship that will out last any new pair of socks!

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You know every year I rack my brain trying to come up with the perfect Christmas gifts for everyone. My primary love laungage is gift giving so its important to me to put lots of thought into presents and make people feel special, but I have to say that this gift is not one I have thought of giving. Obviously I love getting gifts too but I get so much more enjoyment out of giving.

So this gift I have been given has really hit a special spot in my heart this year and you know, its one of those gifts that I will keep for many (many) years to come.
We were a little worried about Christmas this year as we are travelling back to NZ and our bags are already full but this gift is the perfect size and wont cause us any excess baggage!
Its one of those gifts that when you are given it, it almost takes your breath away and you are left speechless, wondering what on earth you did to recieve such a gift!
I know I am building this up but its definitely worth the build up, you are not given gifts like this every day and when you are you, you need to make special mention of it!
So who gave me this gift and what is it?

I’ll let you know tomorrow!

When you travel on planes with others you get to see a different side of human nature. I find it interesting as I often like to make observations about people… call it a strange obsession, but humans are interesting beasts and we can learn a lot by observing them.

Take, for instance, the way people behave in the airport waiting lounge. Often many hours are spent waiting for flights in these small, uncomfortable seats in close proximity to other travellers who may not have showered for many hours (or days). Most people take the “don’t talk to me” stance, retreating to their laptops or books to hide from the talkative types. Others are the complete opposite and will strike up a conversation with even the staunchest of recluse… which, in my experience, leads to a long-winded conversation and many boring photos. The problem is, when you are waiting in a lounge for the same flight it takes an extremely creative excuse to get away!

Meals are taken on the run, with McDonalds or Burger King being the comfort food people seek most often when stressed. The smell of someone else’s hot fries leads people to do some strange things… the most common reaction is to seek out their own portion of steamy hot salty fries. But, that is after they stare mindlessly at the person enjoying their fries in a daydream as they argue with themselves about whether or not to get some of their own! (I must confess I felt a bit uncomfortable as I felt Grandma’s laser eyes following my fries as they entered my mouth.)

Bathrooms in airports are also a “no-go zone” for those with weak stomachs or low levels of bathroom confidence. Travellers make the most of the chance to relieve and refresh themselves while not confined to the small space a plane provides. This freedom means that the well used bathrooms are no place for the timid or polite. I have learned that your elbows are your best weapon when standing much closer to another man with open trousers than you may normally care to be! This week I walked in on a man who had chosen to change his attire in the bathroom, but not in a cubicle… obviously time did not permit him the luxury of privacy!

But the biggest beef I have this week is the dumb rules that Airlines have put in place regarding baggage. You now pay for every bag you check in, which could easily be lost or damaged, and are often opened and searched for security reasons. Over weight bags are charged US$125 which is a legal form of stealing, in my humble opinion.

On top of this the Airlines allow you to take on board one piece of hand luggage and one personal item, which means two bags to most people. Travellers have responded to these rules by packing their personal items into the largest possible “carry on” bags allowed, thereby negating the need to check bags and pay the fees. The other advantage in doing this means that they no longer have to wait at the baggage claim area with the less learned travelers, and can rush off to their next destination.

But where do these bags end up? In the cabin, of course!

The Airlines have not increased the space available on the planes so this means boarding has now become a race to get your carry on items lodged in the overhead locker. Let’s face it, the alternative is not something you want to deal with– I mean, having that bag under your seat means you have no room to stretch your legs. That makes a 2 hour flight painful and a 6 hour flight pure torture!

So previously I have laughed myself silly watching these arrogant travelers; many of them hauling the heavy suitcases onto the plane, down the narrow aisle, and then struggling to lift the luggage above their heads and cram them into the overhead locker. Some of the suitcases were larger than they should have been but that didn’t stop them slamming the door repeatedly until a Hostess arrived to help them.

But this week I wasn’t laughing… my closing confession is admission that we, too, have become guilty of making other peoples’ travel uncomfortable.

As we left Florida and commenced our journey towards New Zealand we discovered we had more luggage than we should have had. In addition to this we had some odd-shaped parcels that were impossible to pack in a suitcase. Oh yeah, and 6 out of our 8 suitcases were over the 50 pound weight limit. What to do?

We quickly repacked our suitcases in the check-in lobby and shuffled heavy items into a bag purchased from the airport. We then boarded the plane with a heavy back-pack each and a large bag each, plus a jacket and sweatshirt each… does this sound like we’re pushing the limits?

But because we were in the final group called to board the plane, by the time we arrived at our seats at the back of the plane there was absolutely no room in the overhead lockers. Back-packs were lodged under the seat in front, (oh great, no leg room for me!), and the remaining bags were sitting on our knees… that is, until the Hostess saw them. With no room in the over-head lockers these bags ended up under another seat in front of a different passenger! How guilty did I feel?!!

I suppose sometimes you just have to do what you can to survive.

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