My kid is officially out of school until the new year starts, which means we're watching the best Christmas movies nonstop until the big day arrives. Elf is always a favorite in my home, not just for Will Ferrell's classic quotes, but because Buddy the Elf is a wonderful modern Christmas character we can celebrate. Even Ferrell's kids love it, though I wonder if they asked him the same question my daughter threw my way when she watched: how long did Buddy's walk to New York take?
In all the times I've seen part or all of Elf since its release in 2003, I've never once thought about the logistics of Buddy's journey from the North Pole to New York City. It is a comedy, after all, and I was in seventh grade when it came out, so it's not like I actually believed he made that trip in real life. Seven-year-olds' brains are wired differently, however, and my kid's curiosity had me diving into the Internet's trenches to see if I could...okay, no....to see if someone else had figured out how long Buddy's adventure to The Big Apple actually took.
