10 Christmas Gifts For Your Expat Friend (Part 1)

by Judith Villarreal
in Advice for Living Abroad, Expat Tales, TEACHERS ABROAD BLOG
on December 11, 2014

Nothing is harder than spending the holidays away from family, friends, and all the cozy familiarity’s back home. Sure, your friend abroad is having a great time, but that doesn’t mean that the holidays are easy to just ignore while they’re seeing the world.

It’s most often around this time of year that homesickness digs its ugly claws into the backside of travelers. Show your expat friend that you truly care about their yuletide happiness while their abroad with these awesome Christmas Gifts that are all shipping friendly and easily found on Amazon or online in other places!

1. Ranch Dip, Spices, And Hot Sauce

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You’ve probably heard your friend whining over a million times about how she misses her favorite snacks and spices. If we could poll the expat community, I’d place all my bets on the fact that Ranch dressing is probably the most missed condiment among expats. I’d say a close second would be Hot Sauce – unless your friend doesn’t like spicy food, in which case, why are you friends with that awful person? The last on the most missed items would probably be spices to bake and cook holiday flavored treats: cinnamon, nutmeg, and gingerbread mix.

2. Starbucks Gift Card

While the limited time offered holiday flavors of specialty lattes at Starbucks differ from country to country, they still are a welcome treat when the weather becomes icy. Nothing says “I care about you even though you left me to go abroad, but I forgive you because I love the fact that you’re following your dreams, and I know you’ll be back soon” better than a gift card to Starbucks so your friend can get their favorite holiday drink without spending half of their paycheck.

3. Winter Gear

This one will really only apply to your friends whom have larger feet or curvier body types. During your weekly Skype sessions, you’ve probably heard the horror of “free size” shopping in Korea and other parts of Asia. Show your friend you care this Christmas with a winter coat or boots that will fit them perfectly. They’ll love that you care so much about their well being while they’re abroad, and they’ll think of you every time they bundle up to go out and explore.

4. Eggnog Mix

Ok, maybe this one is just my own personal view, but nothing quite says holidays like eggnog. I’ve already gone an entire year without even the slightest of sips of the frothy Christmastime drink. Refusing to go another year eggnog-less, I did my research and found that eggnog mix in a carton is totally a thing! All you do is add milk and shake, and you’ve got a delicious carton of eggnog to enjoy. You can find these cartons on Amazon.

5. Christmas Popcorn Tins

Another one of my shameless shares here, popcorn tins. I’m actually not sure if this is just an American thing or what, but maybe if your friend isn’t from America you can still share with them the joy of Christmas popcorn tins! I know popcorn is a pretty common treat in the western world during the holidays, but holiday popcorn tins take the snack to a whole different level. Each tin is divided into 3 sections for flavored popcorns: cheese, butter, and caramel. The outside of the tin is decorated with fun holiday scenes.

10 Christmas Gifts For Your Expat Friend (Part 1)