How to make boyfriend's Christmas away from home better?

December 23, 2008 11:18 AM

My boyfriend just found out he needs to cancel his trip home for Xmas. (Kitty got sick.) I'm still heading out of town (leaving tonight) to see my family for 5 days. What can I do to make boyfriend's Christmas holiday better/less lonely?

Our sick cat needs care that the petsitter cannot provide (fluid via IV), so as of this morning, my boyfriend decided to stay in San Francisco over Christmas instead of heading home to see his folks in LA. (The cat is mostly his, so me staying to take care of her wouldn't have been a good option.) I'm flying to Chicago tonight.

(Cat info - it sounds like the cat will be ok after this infection is done with, but we're both quite worried about her. She's getting old-ish.)

He's not a super-Christmasy person, nor is he that close with his family. But I want to do whatever I can to make sure he's not miserable/bored on Christmas. Any ideas?

Some other possibly relevant info - we do have at least two friends staying in SF, so he won't be totally alone. He and I live together. I'm at work for another two hours, and my flight departs in about 7 hours, so not a *ton* of time to do something, but I am around plenty of shops and restaurants if needed. We've already exchanged most of our Christmas presents as well. We'd previously planned a trip to visit his family in early January, which is possibly still happening if the cat is OK by New Year's.

He'll probably be fine, and I don't think it's boyfriend's first Christmas away from family. But I want to do something nice if I can.

Oh, and suggestions that will make the cat happier too are also welcome ;)

posted by soleiluna to human relations (6 comments total)

Write letters for him, one for each day you are gone. Date the envelopes... Also rent a favorite movie of his that he hasn't seen in a while. (If he hasn't seen Body of Lies rent if for him)
Then give him the letters.

Make the letter to be opened on Christmas day extra special with a gift card to a restaurant he and his friends enjoy. Also in the letter tell him where you hid the movie you rented, and he and his friends can come back home after eating and watch a great movie.
posted by nokry56 at 11:31 AM on December 23, 2008

I don't know if this is possible, but maybe fly back a day earlier than you'd planned and surprise him.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:38 AM on December 23, 2008

If you're traveling with a laptop or your destination has a computer, check in daily via webcam.

My wife traveled out to the west coast with our two oldest children for two weekes earlier this year, and we talked via webcam several times. It made the separation easier (I'm a big sap). :)
posted by DWRoelands at 11:59 AM on December 23, 2008

All good ideas! As luck would have it, my flight just got canceled, so I'm here in SF overnight. I'm going to take the opportunity to do all of these things :) Heading out to the store now to buy some little things for him - his favorite Xmas cookies, some nice alcohol for him & friends to open on the 25th, a few movies, etc.

Good call re: webcam too, I'm going to make a point to do this as well!

Keep the suggestions coming! :)
posted by soleiluna at 5:35 PM on December 23, 2008

whole foods Christmas dinner he can pick up w/ lotsa leftovers and stuff to share. What could be better.
posted by mumstheword at 6:29 PM on December 23, 2008

I think hiding something in the apartment and telling him where it is when you talk on Christmas would be awesome!

I spent one miserable Christmas alone in my apartment without any friends or family around. A friend dropped off a present at my door in the early morning dawn on her way to the airport, which I didn't find until later in the day when I was going to glumly go out and rent a movie or something. A surprise, when I'd already settled into the idea that the whole day was going to suck despite my best efforts, totally cheered me up.

It wasn't even a great present, just a chocolate bar and some pretty notebooks, but I remember it fondly years later. I think the surprise element is key.
posted by adiabat at 6:43 PM on December 23, 2008