Santa Claus Where Are You?

Henna
Dec 22, 2025
2 min read

Posted from: A tiny, brightly-lit cafe in Seville, Spain.

Current Mood: A shot of espresso with a splash of melancholy, and a generous dusting of holiday cheer.

Yours truly, at a coffee shop in Seville, Spain.

It’s confession time: I ran - well, not in a dramatic, leaving-my-life-behind way, but in a "I can't face one more silent holiday dinner" kind of way.

The tree is trimmed, Santa Claus standing next to it, while the carols are playing, but the familiar faces I want to share it with? They're elsewhere. And honestly, a holiday without your people feels less like a celebration and more like a beautifully wrapped echo.

My plan? Outrun Santa Claus. I figured if I was on a continent that didn't know my name, the holiday magic couldn't find me. I’d trade nostalgic snow for sun-drenched cobblestones and try to forget what day it was.

Spoiler alert: I failed gloriously.

Turns out, you can travel thousand miles, but Christmas spirit is an international traveler. Yesterday, I was on a narrow alley and I heard a choir singing a soulful Spanish carol - Villancico (about the Three Kings). The whole street was strung with lights, and everyone was bundled up, happy, some carrying gifts.

It hit me: This feeling, of a pull toward warmth and light and connection. It’s not just a thing back home. It's everywhere. It’s a collective deep breath the world takes, a moment to be a little brighter.

And that’s the beautiful, though embarrassing, truth I learned: I didn't need to run from the holidays. I just needed a change of scenery to see the holidays differently. I'm not running away. I'm just on a long, well-justified holiday excuse. And for the first time this year, the quiet in my heart feels less like an absence and more like a peaceful pause.

If you’re feeling the distance this year, don't hide. Change your address for a few days, find a new street full of lights, and let the world remind you that even without your usual people, you are never truly alone. Santa Claus is everywhere.

Wishing you all the merriest, no matter where you are.

If you want to support my blog, click links below: THANK YOU!