Now that we’re in the thick of the holiday season in the US, it brings back memories of my most interesting holidays away from home. Here are my top 5. Let me know some of yours.

1 – Spending Halloween (my personal favorite) on a boat 200 miles out to sea on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. In honor of me as the token American, the Ozzies decided we’d celebrate the holiday using bed sheets as toga costumes. They then asked me what we typically do on Halloween and all I could think of was begging for candy from strangers and apple bobbing – so we chased the fruit we had on hand around a large basin for a go each and finished with shots.

2 – Easter morning riding the gondola up Aspen Mountain to attend an acoustic jam by members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band at the top of the mountain and then standing behind the ropes to be the first to ski dumps of fresh powder afterwards.

3 – Christmas evening huddling under the kotatsu at my friend’s house in Japan sharing a shabu shabu hot pot while somehow participating in a heated conversation in Japanese (even though I don’t speak the language).

4 – Spending July 4th watching a dazzling orange sunset from the rim of Santorini crater fade into the night sky with a bunch of Brits who didn’t quite get why that day was special for us Yanks.

5 – Spending Thanksgiving in Kakadu National Park swimming with “friendly” crocs and eating a honey ant for some bush tucker.

This Thanksgiving, I’m in the US, at home, and while I won’t be eating or doing anything too wild, that’s ok, because, after all – home is great too.

Now it’s your turn – share your experiences and post a comment!