Boxes Filled with Fall

There's nothing that warms the heart of an expat more than a care package from home. Little boxes filled with familiar treats and seasonal gifts always brings back a flood of nostalgia and for a brief moment in time, you feel like you're not 4,000 miles away from everything you hold dear. For an expat, checking the mail becomes an everyday excitement. It also keeps you going. Just knowing someone, somewhere is thinking of you, missing you--wanting to send you love and comfort in the form of your favorite magazine or box of crackers because a hug just isn't possible. Care packages are like giant hugs. They bring joy of indescribable proportions and help to make home feel a little less far away. I live for care packages. That's why when my dear friend, Kristin, who blogs over at Vignettes, mentioned she would be hosting a Fall Friendship Swap, I knew I had to participate! Not only do I love getting mail, I also love sending it. So, I scoured Germany looking for the coolest fall goodies I could find and sent them over to Kristin, who also happened to be my swap partner (lucky me!!). Just a week after I sent my package off to Virginia, I received Kristin's gift in my mailbox and squealed with delight as I opened it, on my birthday no less. :) Thank you so much, Kristin! I adored every single thing!

And not to be outdone, my sweet momma also mailed a few fall gifts our way. D and I will be sipping Pumpkin Spiced Lattes well into Christmas thanks to my mom and her super awesome coffee hunting skills! You guys in America are really going nuts for the PSL this year, aren't you? She had the hardest time getting her hands on those Via pouches because they're selling out so quickly! Thanks, mom, for running around town like a crazed coffee nut for us! And thanks for the pumpkin bagels and pretzels. Mind=blown.

Friends, do you have a friend or family member that lives far from home? Do you know a deployed military member who could use a little morale boost? Let them know you're thinking of them by sending a little love this holiday season. Not only will it warm their hearts and lift their spirits, it's good for your soul, too. :) 

Happy Tuesday, dears!