Christmas Day

Christmas day. I am alone in my new flat, sitting on my bed drinking a cup of tea, and smiling to myself like a loon! It's my first cup of tea since I arrived in Nigeria, in my favorite mug, and I am enjoying the simplicity of just sitting and contemplating my new surroundings. My mind flicks to all my family and friends - I can imagine what each one is doing, and the Christmas fun they are having. I feel happy just by thinking of them, and I have no sadness that I am not having a traditional Christmas day.

I am sad that I'm not sharing this experience with my husband, who I love and miss very much. But I know that our time will come and we will soon be back together enjoying each other's company. I think about all the people who are working today, at home or overseas, and who are not with their families. It's just one day but it means so much to so many. Feeling alone must be awful, and I can imagine the loneliness of this time of year for those who have lost their loved ones or do not have families. But I do not feel lonely, even though I am alone. I feel loved. And I don't need my people around me to feel that.

The thought of rousing myself from this tea drinking moment to continue unpacking makes me smile even more, because I am excited to get settled in to my new place and feel a sense of order. And I am excited to be in this country, because although it means temporary separation from my family and friends, I am happy to be doing my job and working in development. I have gotten to where I wanted to get to. 2015 will be about building on that, and making new plans and goals as one half of a pair.

So I had better start unpacking. My brother in law is coming round in a little while and who knows how the day will unfold after that. It's not one day at a time for me at the moment, it's one hour at a time - and for now I am ok with that!