This will be my third consecutive holiday season with a full-time job, and while that might not register as monumental for some, it still feels extraordinary to me.
Every December, I think back on the years when I didn’t have this stability — the holidays felt heavier, more uncertain, and more financially stressful. So now, having a 9-5 job and a steady income feels like the gift underneath the gift.
I’m very lucky that on top of PTO, I get to work from home and have never minded working the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s.
As a result, I’ve started giving myself another kind of holiday: a personal “Christmas break” earlier in the month. This is my own little tradition — a week to pack in fun, festive things that I may not have time for once everyone else’s PTO kicks in and the world feels like a snow globe that’s been shaken too hard.
Well, today marks the start of this year’s Christmas break, and the festivities kick off as soon as I sign off work. Here’s what I’ve got planned:
A Weekend With My Best Friend
My best friend is coming to Buffalo for the weekend, and honestly, there’s no better way to start the season. We’re kicking things off with a cozy movie night at my apartment — I’ve stocked up on all the taco ingredients and everything needed for the perfect ice cream sundae setup.
On Saturday, we’re heading to the wineries on Lake Niagara to sip something seasonal and pretend we are ladies of leisure.
And then on Sunday… our FIRST Bills game! We’re both still in shock that we get to experience Bills Mafia in all its cold-weather glory. And yes, we will be screaming loudly for our beloved Josh Allen and Joe Burrow — equal-opportunity quarterback appreciation here (but don’t tell anyone).
Monday: Something Completely New
After my friend leaves on Monday, I’m heading straight into something brand new for me — a Divination session.
For anyone unfamiliar, divination can take a lot of forms (tarot, oracle reading, mediumship, intuitive energy work, etc.), but at its core, it’s about gaining clarity, insight, or perspective. I have no idea what to expect, but I’m going in with curiosity and an open mind. At the very least, it feels like a magical thing to do during a magical time of year.
A Week of Winter Adventures
With the whole week off, I’m lining up activities that bring in coziness, creativity, and holiday energy:
- Ice Skating — because it’s not December until you’ve nearly fallen on your face in public at least once.
- Exploring Buffalo — more tours, more wandering, more soaking in all the things I haven’t had time for during the workweek.
- Silk Dyeing + Painting Class — I signed up for this on a whim, and it feels like the perfect winter craft: warm, meditative, and something I can gift or keep forever.
- A One-Day NYC Holiday Trip — Yes, I booked a round-trip flight just for the day. I fully believe the holidays don’t count unless you’ve stood in front of the Rockefeller tree, witnessed the chaos of Fifth Avenue, and said hello to the Rockettes.
And in Between All of That?
Rest. So much rest.
I plan to watch Christmas movies, curl up under blankets, maybe read a holiday novel, try a few new recipes, and simply be — present, warm, quiet, grateful.
This season always goes so fast, and every year I promise myself I won’t blink and miss it. This week is my way of slowing down the snowball, of enjoying things as they come, of reminding myself that holidays don’t need to be defined by what everyone else is doing.
Sometimes the best traditions are the ones you invent for yourself. ❄️✨
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