For over 20 years, I lived and worked outside of my home country. During that time, I experienced holidays in ways I never could have imagined growing up. Different countries. Different languages. Different expectations. And very different traditions.
Holidays are one of the clearest windows into a culture. They reveal what a society values, how people connect, and who is included. When you live abroad, those moments can feel incredibly beautiful and sometimes quietly complicated.
This Refashionista Rants live is about the holiday traditions I experienced while living overseas, and what they taught me about community, belonging, and the idea of “home.”
Holidays Look Different When You’re Not From There
When you’re living abroad, holidays aren’t something you passively observe. You feel them.
Sometimes you’re welcomed in with warmth, food, and generosity. Other times you’re reminded that you’re an outsider, learning rules you didn’t grow up with and traditions you don’t instinctively understand.
Over the years, I learned that holidays don’t have to look the same to feel meaningful. Quiet celebrations can be just as powerful as loud ones. Shared meals matter more than perfection. Intention often matters more than excess.
What Living Abroad Changed for Me
Experiencing holidays in different countries reshaped how I think about tradition, celebration, and connection. It taught me that:
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There is no single “right” way to celebrate
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Traditions can be learned, shared, and adapted
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Belonging often comes from participation, not perfection
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Home isn’t always a place, it’s a feeling
Living abroad showed me that culture isn’t something you consume. It’s something you live inside of.
A Conversation About Culture, Not Travel
This isn’t a travel story. It’s a lived one.
In this live, I’ll be sharing traditions I experienced abroad, moments that stayed with me, and how immigration shaped my relationship with holidays. We’ll talk about the good, the awkward, the surprising, and the deeply human parts of building a life somewhere new.
If you’ve ever lived abroad, moved far from home, or found yourself celebrating differently than you expected, this conversation will feel familiar.
Come join the conversation, share your own experiences, or simply listen. There’s no right way to belong and no single definition of home.
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