Home for the Holidays

Wow....2022 is almost here. What a year 2021 has been! I graduated from grad school with a 4.0. I landed my dream job. I moved 9 hours away from everyone I know to start a new journey in a new state. But one thing I will treasure is getting to surprise my family for Christmas.

To preface, as a journalist, our industry doesn't stop. It's a 365-day job. So I knew going on those holidays would be different. Especially because I am the newest producer and I have no time off built up.

This was the first Thanksgiving I didn't get to spend with my family. It was hard to put it lightly. Earlier in November, I was moved from an 8 to 5 schedule to overnight shifts. That in and of itself was a huge adjustment. I work from 10:30 at night to 6:30 in the morning the following day. On top of that, I am now the weekend morning producer which means I work midnight to 8 AM.

So, for Thanksgiving, I worked and then treated myself to a fancy Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant called Kings Tide. First of all, I HIGHLY recommend it. The atmosphere was beautiful and the food was divine. I'll never stop thinking about the sweet potato bread pudding I had.

Anyways skip ahead a bit and I was speaking with my manager about holidays. This was when she told me I would be transitioning to the morning shift. She asked me if I wanted any off days before the end of the year. I said all I want is to be home for Christmas. By this point, I have been in Charleston for about four months or so. I know that's not a long time, but I was feeling so homesick around the holidays.

My manager said she would do what she could for me. Later that week I found out I would have almost a week off to go home! Needless to say, I booked my flight home that afternoon. I decided then that I would make it a big surprise. I did that last year for Thanksgiving when I was living in Tuscaloosa.

After I booked my flight the plan was in motion. For a month I played it off to my family that I wouldn't make it home this year. I had to work. I didn't have the time off. I was the newest employee so I was at the bottom of the list. Whatever I had to say to make them believe I wouldn't be there I did. It was the hardest secret to keep from them because every time I talked to them I could hear in their voices how sad they were. My grandparents and my mom had visited me a few weeks prior, but I had not seen my dad, brother, or sister since I moved.

The days ticked by slowly. My birthday came and went. Spending that alone wasn't too bad. I ate my weight in sushi, had a bottle of wine and a slice of red velvet cake (my favorite.) I was pretty content with my 27th.

My birthday is the week before Christmas so after it passed ALL I could think about was coming home. It's all I thought about and all I talked about. Of course, my best friends knew I was coming, they picked me up from the airport. The day finally came and I got to the airport at around 2 AM for my 5:30 AM flight. I was sweating with excitement.

The flights were quick and I arrived in Pensacola around 8:30 or so. I saw my friends Hannah and Talen and just ran to them like a couple from an old movie. It felt so good to have my arms around them again. We went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast then made our way back to Talen's house for friends-mas. Matching pajamas, loud music, great food, and WAY too much-spiked eggnog made for a perfect first night back home.

I spent the night and Talen offered to drive me to my parent's house the following morning. I was so excited. I was anxious the whole car ride (all 20 minutes of it.) We pulled up and I walked to their front door. I had gone through so many possible ways to surprise them, but I figured banging on the door and ringing the doorbell obnoxiously was the obvious choice. My family is not what you would call "early risers" except maybe my dad and my grandpa.

Talen filmed the whole thing and after banging on the door for what felt like forever, my sister Brina finally answered the door. She cracked it a little bit and I smiled and said "you gonna let me in or what?" And in obvious Brina fashion, with her jaw dropped she closed the door in my face! She finally opened it, looked at me in shock, and just embraced me in a hug I'll never forget. We stood there, hugged, and cried. I missed her so much. She of course wasn't happy to be woken up on her day off, but she forgave me.

Then it was time to surprise everyone else. One by one I made my way to each bedroom to wake them up. My mom looked at me in shock and immediately pulled me in for a hug, as did my Meemee when I woke her up. My grandpa came out of the bathroom and I was hiding behind the corner. He asked my sister who was banging on the door and I came around and said "it must have been some delivery person with an important package." The look of surprise on his face as he hugged me too.

My dad was really special. I won't get too deep into details, but my dad and I are close. He was so upset I wasn't going to be home. He had asked my mom who was beating on the door. I knocked on the bedroom and he said come in. I opened the door and smiled. He was like oh my god! What are you doing here? We cried and hugged me saying "my baby" over and over. He thought he was going to have a heart attack he was so shocked.

The looks on everyone's faces are something I'll treasure forever. The trip home wasn't long enough for me of course. It's so quiet here now that I'm back home. I am so thankful I was able to make it happen. It was beyond worth it. My sister says now they'll expect me to surprise them now. If I can make it happen I will.

I am hoping to go home again in a couple of months. Maybe get to hit the beach this time. Hug your loved ones tighter. Always say I love you. Never take the time you have for granted. My family suffered a lot of loss this past year as I'm sure many of you have. Chase your dreams, get out of your hometown and comfort zone, but never forget where you come from and never forget those who are always in your corner. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year friends! Let's see what 2022 has in store.

P.S. If you want to see the wholesome reunion videos, head over to my Facebook or Instagram. You won't regret it.