The Holiday

I am not, in the least, one bit embarrassed to say that The Holiday is my favorite film of all time. It is not my second favorite, nor does it tie for first place with another movie. The Holiday is my number one favorite film! I love it! The movie is about two women who exchange houses after experiencing heartbreak. One lives in Los Angeles and the other lives in England. While they are away from, for lack of a better term, their lives, they discover something surprising about themselves as people. The movie is one of the reasons I decided that going abroad for a year would be life changing. Don't get me wrong, there were other reasons that influenced me but the fact that a movie even slightly influenced me to want to travel abroad is a big deal. I mean, after I saw Apollo 13 I didn't want to sign up for the Space Program (not that that is an option right now). Anyway, I only packed one physical DVD in my luggage and, you guessed it, it was The Holiday. I watch it here over in Germany and it reminds me what and adventure I am on. I have the opportunity to be whoever I want while abroad. Nobody here has known me for that long and I don't know anyone here for that long. Every once and awhile I think I recognize someone from the US until I think "Oh wait, I'm in Germany there's no way I know them!!!!!!!!" That's kind of what the movie is about. Removing yourself from your usual, everyday people and surroundings and you might just discover that your were a different person...a better person than you thought. If your were the wallflower, become the confident, conversational one in the room. If you were bullied stand up for yourself. If you were the gossiper become the person who steers clear of drama. If you were the sheltered one get out there, make a ton of mistakes, and have an adventure!

The push over, cheated-on columnist (Iris played by Kate Winslet) realizes that she can and does stand up to people who don't care for her. She calls it having "gumption". And then there is the workaholic movie trailer producer who can't even cry even when she finds out she has been cheated on (Amanda played by Cameron Diaz) who doesn't think she has ever really been in love. Amanda realizes that she is capable of loving and by the end of the film is simply full of happy tears. By the end of the film, both women realize who they really are...and that they have, become better people. I said it before but I will say it again. Being abroad is a great chance to be whoever you want to be. I'm not talking about dressing up like a fictitious character or pretending to be a celebrity or even trying to work against your personality. I mean this. If you have acted in a way you thought was not really you like saying something mean about someone or just not living up to your full potential, NOBODY where you are going knows any of that. You have a fresh slate to be the person you want to be and the mistakes of the past, no matter how big or small, do not follow you. It is a great feeling and, so far, I am happy with the person that I have been while here in Germany. I am actually really happy with the person I have always been back in the US but NO ONE is above improving themselves...even just a little. I leave you now with the trailer to my favorite movie of all time. If you have not seen it before, watch it and if you have seen it before, watch it again!