Home for the Holidays
Dec. 24th, 2023 06:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thepowerofdeathI don't often wish I could drive, but when I travel back to the wilds of North Wales by train, I really wish I do. It takes me over 6 hours, and 3 changes of train - into Exeter, Exeter-Bristol, Bristol-Newport, then Newport-Flint, followed by a 16 minute taxi drive. And that's when things go smoothly
Of course, travelling over the festive period, things do not go smoothly and I spend closer to 8 hours on trains. I got plenty of reading and napping done, if nothing else. At least one of my cousins picked me up from the train station.
It's going to be a weird Christmas, our first since my Da died. Mam is still grieving and, understandably, doesn't have a lot of festive spirit but I also think she'd struggle more if I wasn't there, even though she's surrounded by the rest of the family. We've never been especially close and losing Da has not brought us any closer.
I'm hoping it's going to be a better week than I think it's going to be, but I'm not holding my breath. It will be nice to see family, and have dinner cooked for me but I'd rather be spending the holidays at home on my own.
There's always next year
Of course, travelling over the festive period, things do not go smoothly and I spend closer to 8 hours on trains. I got plenty of reading and napping done, if nothing else. At least one of my cousins picked me up from the train station.
It's going to be a weird Christmas, our first since my Da died. Mam is still grieving and, understandably, doesn't have a lot of festive spirit but I also think she'd struggle more if I wasn't there, even though she's surrounded by the rest of the family. We've never been especially close and losing Da has not brought us any closer.
I'm hoping it's going to be a better week than I think it's going to be, but I'm not holding my breath. It will be nice to see family, and have dinner cooked for me but I'd rather be spending the holidays at home on my own.
There's always next year
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Date: 2023-12-24 08:40 pm (UTC)