Holidays Away from Home
The last, and only, time I missed an East Coast family Christmas was in 1997. I spent that Christmas at a Maltese airport. Festive. I was adopted by a Sicilian couple whose ferry ride was cancelled by high seas and bad weather. My knowlege of Italian was limited to “thank you”, “you’re welcome”, “how much?” and “I’ll have one of those tasty looking things, please”. They knew a little English, and we didn’t have much of a conversation, but I was greatful for their warmth and concern. And snacks.