Panic rules present state of mind

CHRISTMAS: the season of festivities, present giving, food comas and family gatherings.

For me, though, Christmas is more than all of that.

Unlike most families, whose hardest decision is to choose which family member’s house to have Christmas lunch at, I have to decide what country to spend it in.

While I am now a Geelong resident and the majority of my family (such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins) are a mere hour and a bit away in Melbourne, my parents and sister are well and truly over 15,000km away.

Should I have a true Aussie Chrissy in the summer heat, or will this year be another winter spectacular in Europe?

Either way there’s a bigger dilemma to face: what in the world am I going to buy everyone for their presents?

If you’ve ever thought buying Christmas presents, or in fact buying any type of present, was a hard task, then you’ll understand my dilemma to some extent.

While I like to consider myself as someone who is exceptionally great at present buying, for any and all occasions, I seem to be drawing a blank this year. The only problem I ever face when it comes to the buying of gifts is that I tend to go above and beyond expectations. So much so that not only does my bank account have a heart attack every time an occasion pops up that requires a present, but it becomes more and more difficult as the years go by to top the previous lot of gifts I’ve given. I’m still contemplating how I can top the voucher to go hot air ballooning that was this year’s Valentines present to my partner. Or the Karl Lagerfeld watch gifted to dad for Christmas in 2015.

Or the KitchenAid I somehow single-handedly managed to ship from England to Kenya for my sister’s birthday one year.

While I continue to brainstorm this minor dilemma of not knowing what gift will surpass all previous ones, I find myself faced with another one.

No matter which country I decide to spend Christmas in, someone is going to have to fly somewhere and that means I have to take into consideration flight baggage allowances and that is no easy task, especially when I’m already struggling with what present to get.

So what present is small and lightweight enough to not result in overweight fees, but will also ensure I keep up my present giving reputation?

If anyone has any ideas, suggestions are welcome.