#114🚀 American Christmas
Living, Working and Parenting in the US
👋 Hello Amigos! Dr. Molina here 👨🔧
As most of you already know, I moved to the USA in September 2023 and set out to understand American culture, especially the Silicon Valley vibes. Being more than 10,000 km away from family and friends is very hard, and Christmas is usually a great time to reunite with them. However, for logistical reasons, we decided to spend the holidays in the USA this year, and I’ve learned so much. Today, I want to share some takeaways.
Hawaii is America… really?
We decided to spend a few days in Hawaii, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of the year. We went to Kauai—oh boy! This is a real jungle! And yes, this is America!
I’ve visited many natural places in my life, but Hawaii truly felt like a jungle at times. We explored the beaches, where I saw 10-meter-high waves for the first time in my life. I also spent hours with my daughter watching turtles resting on the sand. Fun fact: my two-year-old daughter has traveled more than I had by the time I was 25 🤣.
The fact that Hawaii is part of the USA might not be obvious if you look at the local people, but they definitely enjoy the conveniences of American services and stores. It’s the perfect combination: a wild jungle with the safety and services of America. I read a bit about this, and while locals might have different opinions, it reminded me a lot of Spain’s Canary Islands—far from the Iberian Peninsula but with Spanish services and security, sometimes even better prices!
Landing in Hawaii and seeing chickens at the airport was a real shock. The airport isn’t like San Francisco, LA, or London—it’s a small one with just a few flights per day.
As for the food, they have great fish, but their standout dish is poke! I tried my first real poke, and while it was good, I didn’t feel a huge difference at first. Later, I learned that authentic poke originates as street food, often found near ports where fishermen sell their daily catch.
Here’s an interesting observation: a lot of people from Utah. It sounds like a joke, but we went to a dinner concert, and everyone seemed to be from Utah. We also met people from the East Coast, which I admire—they were motivated enough to make such a long trip for the holidays. They really felt the jet lag, as did we. On the first day, we woke up at 4 a.m., tried to have breakfast at 5:30, and found all the other jet-lagged people walking around the beaches or hotel because breakfast places were still closed. The hotel started serving free coffee at 6 a.m., turning it into a gathering spot for parents and jet-lagged travelers. Everyone was wide awake, chatting over coffee.
The beaches were amazing, but don’t forget to bring water shoes—there are a lot of stones in the water, and it’s easy to hurt yourself. I didn’t have any on the first day, and it was super uncomfortable. By the second day, I realized the difference.
There’s a beach in the south, called Poipu, where turtles come to rest and swim around you. It was one of the best experiences I had with my daughter there. Of course, the colorful fish added to the fun for her—“Look, Daddy, a red one!”
Imported items can be ridiculously expensive. A 1.5-liter bottle of mineral water costs $7, while a local beer is $3. So, I said, “OK, I’ll take another beer!” 😂
We spent most of our time on the beaches, but the resorts have great spaces and activities. Still, exploring the island with a toddler was much more fun for us.
To sum up, visiting Kauai was one of the best ideas of 2024. Thanks, Dario, for recommending it—we had an amazing time!
Christmas is Over on December 27th
When we landed in San Francisco, it seemed like Christmas was already over. You could see Christmas trees abandoned on the streets and local services collecting them. After Thanksgiving, everyone was in full Christmas mode, getting their trees and decorations ready. Maybe Santa sees Black Friday as a good opportunity for discounts!
New Year’s Eve is Not Christmas
We celebrated New Year’s Eve twice—once at Spanish time (3 p.m. for us) and again at midnight in San Francisco.
Some of our friends skipped the traditional celebrations and attended a famous festival-party in San Francisco on January 1st called Breakfast of Champions. It’s a big cultural and music event. Here’s a link for more information.
Los Reyes y el Roscón!
In Spain, we have a tradition called The Three Magic Kings. They traveled around the world with their camels, following a star that guided them to the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem. Every January 5th, children in Spain go to bed eagerly awaiting their presents, which they open the next morning. Then, we eat roscón.
Roscón is a sweet cake made with orange and almonds. My wife baked a fantastic one, and I’m still enjoying it. 😋
We organized everything on January 5th, and it was a lot of fun.
Parenting is hard by definition. Adding the distance from family and the lack of support here doesn’t make things easier. However, I’m lucky to witness all the details of my daughter’s growth and learning, and that is absolutely wonderful.
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