The day after Christmas lends itself to a bit of reflection after the holidays. Given I am writing this post several days in advance, I think it is a great chance to write about my first-ever GT holiday party.

Thursday, Dec. 20, was the GT holiday party. At about 10:50 a.m., the staff working at the office climbed into a hired executive van and made our way downtown to the Union League. I have only been to the Union League on one other occasion, for this past September’s Advisory Board reception, but the holiday party was entirely different.

The whole staff kicked the afternoon off with some Champagne before moving into the wine cellar for lunch. I was happy to see the vegan option they prepared was full, filling and satisfying. The entire table took turns giving toasts, and as luck would have it, I was the last person to go. It was tough to follow the strong and kind words given by the entire table, but in the end, I expressed my gratitude at joining the team.

After dinner and dessert, we played a rousing game of Heads Up!, where one player has a name on their forehead and needs their team’s help to guess what or who they are. This was a wonderful way to spend some time with the team before splitting up. After the game, some of the group went to the League’s cigar bar, but I decided to head back to World Headquarters.

The party was an excellent chance to spend time with colleagues without the stressors of every day. Exchanging gifts and sharing laughs over drinks was an excellent way to bring in the long weekend before Christmas.

— Erich Martin, assistant editor