Our Expat Christmas of 2023

2023 has been a tumultuous journey for us. Yet, despite a couple of unforeseen hurdles, the essence of Christmas persisted.

The challenges seemed ceaseless—adaptation hurdles, insane father, abusive neighbors, and the longing for familiarity became our constants. However, we were determined to infuse the spirit of the season into our lives and have the best Christmas possible.

That's not an easy thing to accomplish in a land far from home, where traditions differ and snow-kissed landscapes remain a distant dream. But our Christmas tree, adorned with mementos collected over the years, became a symbol of joy.

So, in our humble abode, we meticulously prepared a simple feast and more sweet treats than a human body can withstand. 

The hubs looking beautiful as always as he preps the potato balls

The photo above is a lasagna dish we made. This is what it looked like before it went in the oven. We had to use a round glass plate because we were using the rectangular glass tray for our brownie mix. More on that later. The Christmas tree was made out of cheese and it held up pretty well after it came out of the oven.

Lasagna, potato balls and coleslaw

Christmas trees made out of brownies, icing and Rocklettes

Christmas tree made out of muffins, cherry ornaments and Kit Kat trunk

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

I always wanted to make a gingerbread house, but we didn't have the ingredients to make one. So, we came up with a Kit Kat Christmas shed.

The Argentine summer made it difficult to set up the Kit Kats. The bars kept melting in my hand. But in the photo below, the bars broke.

Despite some setbacks, our Christmas Shed came out decent

But the sweet treats didn't end here.

The hubs surprised me by ordering root beer from a Chinese store from Buenos Aires. Root beer is not available in Argentine supermarkets, so it cost him a pretty penny. But it was worth it so that I could enjoy a root beer float.

And that's not all. The hubs also ordered a couple of Christmas themed candies that are as difficult to find in Argentina as root beer.

The aroma of spices intertwined with memories of Christmases past, creating an ambiance of comfort and warmth that transcended borders.

Also, being the TV/film buffs that we are, we spent most of December watching Christmas themed movies. But this year, we tried to stir clear of Hallmark movies because frankly, most of them are cliche and boring.

So, here's our Christmas movie list of 2023

• Sint - It's a Christmas horror flick
• Thanksgiving - Another horror flick
• Christmas as Usual 
• Bad Santa 2 - Really funny
• The Sacrifice Game
• Christmas on Cherry Lane - Gay themed Christmas movie. Hallmark, but ok.
• EXmas 
• Le Calendrier
• It's a Wonderful Knife
• While You Were Sleeping
• The Associate 

In the backdrop of a year that tested our mettle, celebrating Christmas 2023 reinforced the significance of resilience and adaptability. While the challenges of living abroad and family issues have persisted, the festive season served as a beacon of hope, reminding us of the unyielding power of love and togetherness. 

Thanksgiving 2023 With a Side of Dementia

There's always some horrible person out there telling you that there are people who are worse off than you in the world and that you shouldn't complain. 

I don't think that's fair. 

We all endure our own struggles through life, and the pain is unique to each individual. So weighing that pain against other people's pain is pointless.

To that end, I want to say that there has been very little that I am thankful for in 2023. Oh sure! There are the typical things that I am grateful for such as having my husband by my side and our slutty chicken (I'll explain that a little later). 

But this year has hit me hard. 

Really hard.

My dad developed dementia this year and has gone off the rails. It's gotten so bad that he has threatened to kill people, including my mom. He has been emotionally abusive with her, too. Well, more than usual. 

To make things worse, the properties my family owns are in danger thanks to my father's unruly behavior. He has managed to royally upset both the renters and the realty company with his constant threats and harassment. 

In fact, it has gotten so bad that I recently received a WhatsApp message from the realtor letting me know that they were filing a lawsuit against our family for defamation. 

But to add the proverbial cherry on top, I've discovered a lump which I am seeing a doctor for very soon. Since there's no history of cancer in my family, I'm hopeful that it turns out to be nothing. But I'll feel a lot better once the doctor gives me the all clear.

What will happen next is anyone's guess.

Still I am hopeful that I will find a way out of this for my husband's sake and mine.

Now, I'm going to share a couple of photos of our Thanksgiving meal. It wasn't anything too elaborate as you'll see. 

The menu included:

• Mashed potatoes
• Stuffing
• Gravy
• Macaroni salad
• Biscuits
• But no turkey!

I know. Thanksgiving without a turkey seems insane, but our oven is busted and the only way it stays on is if one of us is holding the knob to keep the gas going. (Don't go there!) But it takes several hours to cook a turkey and there was no way either of us wanted to stand in front of a hot oven in the middle of the Argentine spring.

So, we bought a chicken instead and seasoned it ourselves because Argentine seasoning is often too bland for our taste.

As you'll see from the photos, our chicken is leaning side ways, almost like it's posing in a provocative way, hence why I called it our slutty chicken.

All I can say is that we did our best. I give extra brownie points to my husband who had to endure a lot of pain and discomfort brought on by his skin disease. Sadly, his medication was nearly impossible to find in recent weeks. 

Luckily, we found his meds but not in time to save Thanksgiving.

When all was set and done, we managed to sit in front of the TV and watch a downloaded version of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

With Christmas right around the corner, we are doing our best to keep our heads up. 

I'm sorry that this post is not more uplifting, but I have always been brutally honest in my posts. And unlike some expats and travelers who have chosen to focus only on the positive things to get clicks and views, my blog has always been about showing what life abroad is really like, both the good and the bad. 

The fact is that the truth isn't always pretty, so there you go. 

Until next time.