As home as I can be for the holidays

This is my first Christmas away from home. I’ve missed other events, but no matter where I am I always make it back to Illinois for Christmas. At first, we only had Christmas day off work. Although it falls on a Friday this year, flights home for that weekend were at least $550 from Casper and $350 from Denver, which isn’t really an option considering the possibility of winter storms. But I’m not sitting at home alone.

first Christmas dinner

Last weekend, two designers at work (and friends, despite the fact they went to Kansas) cooked a Christmas dinner complete with a turkey, green bean casserole and cheesecake with cranberries for dessert. The six of us are all from the Midwest — Kansas, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin.

The 3-foot tree I've had forever.

Christmas has been arriving on my doorstep every day. So far: books, pounds of almonds and a Calphalon grill pan.

I’m spending Christmas in the mountains in New Mexico, meeting Josh and his dad’s family at a vacation home. I have to go back to Wyoming to work for a few days.

I’ll watch the little ball drop in Kansas City on New Year’s Eve, a long-awaited reunion with my kind and talented friend Cat Szalkowski (who just completed a kick-ass photo project in Poland and is available for freelance work/full time employment.)

In between the drives, I plan to vacation as much as possible — reading, skiing, sleeping and making an awesome gingerbread house on Christmas. Gifts are wrapped. Shortbread cookies are in the oven. Just need to pack, work and leave.