Christmas Cards to Heaven

It’s Christmas again, well Christmas eve, and I’m sitting at the airport in Cairo waiting to board my plane to take me to Istanbul. Today, I’ve been thinking a lot about the people I left in San Francisco. Clearly I’m having an unforgettable time, but it’s the holidays and the airport soundtrack is full of the most damn nostalgic songs. Ok enough with the Sinead O’Connor Cairo International, really.  Briefly I want to wish everyone I love in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Kentucky, Indiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Maryland, Florida, Australia, Egypt, and everywhere else in the world where you may be, a very Merry Christmas. If I were home you would be getting another one of my traditional Christmas cards, with a lovely picture of me and one very pissed off Bruiser in reindeer ears. However, since that isn’t happening this year, this is the best I got. Also I wanted to, more importantly, write a note to the people who are not going to receive my Christmas card this year.

Dear Dad, Adrian, and Gregor,

        HI! How’s it going? It’s been awhile since I made an attempt to speak to you, I’m sorry for that, but I assume you are following my every move. To me this is evident through circumstances of my life in this moment, and every moment of the past year. I wish you were here so I could tell you all about my adventures in 2010, and how through your influence I was brave enough to accept all challenges. Did you know I moved to the Middle East to become a teacher? I know, random…but I think if you saw me in my element you would be proud.

Dad, I remember all the art lessons you gave me as a child, well my students love them. Every morning when I look in the mirror, and I see my dark brown hair and prominent ears I see a product of you. Thank you for giving me “Garcia” and somewhat Hispanic appearance, nothing makes me more proud than to call myself your daughter.  Our last Christmas together you gave me a tradition Native American dream catcher. I curse the 13 year old girl who carelessly lost it, but it’s O.K because now, as I get older and witness the products of my manifestations, I see you’ve made sure that that dream catcher has been over my bed the whole time.

Adrian sometimes I pretend that you are sitting in bed with me and I look at you and tell you about the crazy things I’ve been doing. You always look back at me, smile and say “well of course why do you think I picked you”. You are the reason I started traveling, and are the reason I continue. I choose to sail in the Caribbean and scuba dive in the Red Sea because you can’t. I honor you and our relationship by living through your memory. Thank you for allowing me to do this.

Gregor while having a tequila induced conversation with you we began discussing the places of your past 6 months of travel. You named of Mexico, Brazil, London, and Chicago ….I said “I want your life” and you replied (in very typical Gregor fashion) “Darling, I want you in my life”. Done! You were awesome travel buddy. Completely experienced, yet unpretentious.  “Plane tickets are the easiest things in the world to buy”, you told me once. I think about this statement all the time, and how it continues to shape a lot of spontaneous decisions.

Up until now you three have been the men of my life. Thank you God for making me deserving of this. It’s completely true that the encounters of our past, good and bad, pave the path we are presently walking.

It's that time of year again, where we should indulge in happiness. Christmas has that wonderful way of making us forget about sadness, and remember what is truly important. Tomorrow, I hope everyone hugs those who you love, and maybe even those who you don’t. So like always, I’m sending lots of love from Africa. Have your-self a very Merry Christmas. All my love,

     Tobie.

And in the words of Gregor. “say hello to ya mutha for me”