This year was the first year I spent Christmas alone. I ended up taking a housesitting/dog-sitting job in LA. Being 28, I bounced between the ideas that I am an adult and I really don't need to go home but at the same time, Christmas is my favorite Holiday and it means spending time with family. I have to thank my Mother who made the Holidays into such important times for our family. So this year, trying not to let the Christmas Blues get to me, I made the most out of what I did have this year and these are the things I learned about spending Christmas alone:

Picking Out A Christmas Tree takes No Time At AllUsually everyone in my family has different check marks they are looking for in a tree. It takes hours picking out the perfect one because we can never agree. Arguing over a Christmas Tree is one of our family Traditions! It took me 2 minutes flat to find my perfect tree and I am also okay with that :)
I Could Listen To All The Christmas Music By a Fire All I Wanted!I started to listen to Christmas music a couple days before Thanksgiving. To each their own! I say. Look, some people think the idea of Christmas decorations is October is offensive. Maybe there should be a definitive date in which Christmas music is allowed to play in public. But with everything going on in the world, a little Holiday Cheer in Thanksgiving may be just what some people need. So spread love, not hate! (also I just love Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby?)
I Actually Love Christmas Shopping For PeopleBecause I was not with my family this year, I think my subconscious wanted to make it extra special for everyone. I ended up creating carefully curated gift boxes for each of my sisters after being inspired by some of the subscription boxes I subscribe too. I just wanted to make them feel even more special.
Family Is Only A Phone Call AwayMy Language of Love is for sure "Quality Time." So this year, it was hard to swallow knowing that I wouldn't be in the same city as any of my family. I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR FACETIME/SKYPE! Modern technology has made the world a smaller place to some degree and I am super grateful that I was still able to be connected to everyone I love. That and the USPS.
Putting Yourself Out There Can Be RewardingLos Angeles is filled with transplants. Almost every single one of my friends is not originally from here so at Christmas time when everyone goes home for the Holidays, it can feel quite emptied out. Not everyone leave though. I felt embarrassed to tell people that I wasn't going to be with family for the Holidays like it meant I was alone or was something worthy of being pitied for. The truth is sometimes life just works out that way. I found that other people are in the same boat. By telling people my story, I found a handful of friends that were all staying in LA for their own reasons. I found that I did have a family in LA.
Making New Traditions Should Be EmbracedLife is all about adapting and evolving. As much as I would love to (and have desperately) cling/clung to all my childhood traditions, it is okay to embrace new ones. My family would go to a Christmas Eve Church Service every year and then get Chinese Takeout. My friends in LA typically get Sushi and then go to a service. In the end, I felt honored to join them in their Traditions knowing that we weren't so different. :) "Old Traditions, New Family."
Christmas is About Love and Appreciating the People in Your LifeIn the end, I felt like I spent Christmas with family. I am so happy and grateful for my family and where their lives have taken them. I am so grateful for the people in LA that made me feel like I belonged with them. So whether your family is the people you grew up with, the best friends you have met along the way, or the coworkers you have, we all need to spread more love in the world.