Merry Christmas from the end of the world

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Winter Break, or what have you. This time of year I hope we all remember what is most important: family and friends. Take it from someone who is so far away form his family: I do not miss the gift giving bonanza in the slightest, only the comfort of being around those I love. Being away from family at this time of year is harder than I thought it would be. I am certainly lucky to be here with Maya and Taylor, and we are having a wonderful time enjoying each other's company, but it certainly is not the same. I became slightly emotional while walking the streets of Ushuaia last night and thinking about home. To everyone reading this: I love and miss you, and look forward to seeing you in 2012.

Now, let's get past the sappy stuff. We did our best to celebrate Christmas Eve in style. We were somewhat surprised to find that quite a few restaurants were open last night, but maybe we should have expected what we found: limited menus at outrageous prices. I guess that's the name of the game: supply and demand. Everyone lazy enough to go out on Christmas Eve, or dumb enough not to stock up, must eat somewhere (demand). So of course, the main topic at the weekly meeting of restaurant owners in Ushuaia was how much to rip out the pockets of lazy/dumb tourists (supply). Finding that all of the menus were out of our price range, and that our new favorite empanada spot was closed, we decided to return home to make burgers and scrounge up whatever we could find in the fridge.

It was then that a Christmas miracle was bestowed onto us. Oh wait, did I say miracle? I meant slap in the face. After returning home with no empanadas in hand, I had expected to find the aroma of burgers seeping out from under the door to greet me. WRONG! Our one burner decided to break on the one day when nobody was around to fix it. After a few shots of fernet we threw the frozen meat (as well ass a leftover slice of pizza, 2 lamb empanadas, and 3 day old mac and cheese) on a plate in the microwave and set it to nuke. Curled up in front of the computer, we devoured our feast and bottle of fernet to the musings of Lesnie Knope and Tom Haverford (Parks and Recreation [highly recommend]). Overall, a wonderful Christmas Eve.

4 thumbs up for microwaved meat

Today we are off to the field. Taking yesterday off to explore the National Park in Ushuaia, we left ourselves with a fuller plate today that usual. But what better way to spend Christmas than at the end of the world doing what we love? Answer: there is none.

I am grateful for my family and friends back home, for Maya and Taylor who are here with me, for Dan Ardia, who spent the first week here with us and who hooked us up with this incredible opportunity (and who we miss terribly), for good health, and an endless list of good fortunes. While spreading good cheer in the form of gifts, may we remember those people in the world who want for nothing more than the things we may take for granted: a warm place to live, clean food and water, clothing, great educational opportunities, etc. My hope is that we all remember what today is: a celebration of life. May we remember the true needs to life and not confuse them with our wants. Consider sharing your good fortune and spreading happiness to those who have so little. Consider putting off buying the new ipad or playstation so that a family somewhere can eat for a week. Remember to separate those things in our lives that bring us true happiness from those that bring about superficial satisfaction.

Happy Holidays. By breathing the air in the sky and feeling the ground under our feet, know that we are blessed to know the gift of life.

Christmas Dinner (a little nicer than Christmas Eve dinner): Lamb stew, king crab ravioli, empanadas, fernet, wine, and champagne