Voila! I have officially FINISHED all my Christmas shopping. I had just one gift left to buy - Converse All-Stars for Georges' older son (his sister is getting Converse also), and I got out early today, just when the mall was opening... so no problems parking, and I was in and out of that mall in under an hour. And that included a little shopping for me... in Macy's lingerie department. (Yes, of course Paris has amazing lingerie, but it's really not sized for MY body, so once again I am doing my clothes shopping here. And the pre-Christmas sales over here are pretty fantastic. Therefore... Cha-ching.)
I am looking around the room at all the bags and bags of STUFF I now have to wrap. I've got:
- jewelry and lace goods from Venice (Murano & Burano to be precise),
- hand-printed paper journal and picture frame, also from Venice,
- a giant beer mug from Munich,
- chocolate purchased in Paris and made by a French chef but with Belgian chocolate and Canadian maple syrup instead of white cane sugar (supposed to be healthier?),
- coffee bowls and scarves from Paris,
- Jelly Bellys, Converse, Pokemon cards and Spiderman toys and a blanket from NJ (all going BACK to Paris with me, for the kids) -- plus a little something extra for Georges, besides ME, I mean (and sorry, mon amour, I'm not telling and you'll have to wait until New Year's Eve for this one!)
- video camera accessories
- a Bratz doll
- and assorted little stocking stuffers and do-dads.
I wouldn't be shocked at all if, once I start sorting and wrapping, I discover I also have three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree in those bags. There is just that much STUFF in here. And I really need to get it all taken care of by tomorrow as my brother-in-law's dad is coming on the weekend and will be staying here for the holidays, in my room (I'll be on the sofabed in the spare room). So it will force me not to procrastinate for a change, on the gift wrapping.
I will say one thing. Having done the bulk of my Christmas shopping in Europe the past two holidays and knowing I have to schlep all the cadeaux back to America with me has forced me to "shop small". I typically select things that will pack and travel well and aren't very heavy. I've gotten over the fact that next to the giant presents that will typically be under the tree to and from all my other relatives, MY gifts might be smaller and maybe not even as expensive. But I think I'm shedding my American need for excess since living in France, where gift-giving is a bit more restrained and where things are expensive.
This is not a bad thing. It forces me to choose gifts with more care and thought. Sure, I would have loved to give my sister a great set of serving dishes I saw in one of the gourmet stores on Rue de Rennes, but to either carry it on the plane or take the chance of shipping it and having it arrive in broken pieces? No way.
Having said all that, I did pack two empty duffel bags to make sure I'd be able to bring back my gifts for Georges and the kids, plus the gifts I will receive AND the stuff I'm picking up for myself while I'm here. And maybe a few things I will take out of storage, if I can fit anything extra without paying too much for extra/overweight luggage. Again.
I wonder if there will ever be a time I can travel light going back to Paris. So far, it sure doesn't seem that way.
