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.