FELIZ NAVIDAD

I was told Christmas is the hardest part of an exchange, but if you can get to Christmas and past it you can make the whole year. I always knew I'd make the whole year and I had no doubts before Christmas, and for me it wasn't all that hard. I feel the most homesick when I talk to my family so skyping my family while their continuing on with our traditions was a little hard but I know I'll be there next year. Watching my family open presents and hugging each other was nice but sad - people don't hug the same here, and that's really what I miss.

Christmas eve I woke up at my friends house after being out all night and was home around two because I was going to help with preparations in the house. Wasn't sure what for because things are never laid out and explained to me, but I'm good at going with the flow so long as I know I wont get lost. So first it was cleaning, my room, the staircase, mine and Lucas's bathroom, the living room. Then moving furniture around in the living room so we could make the table bigger and still have people be able to walk around then we went to a parade. The basque people don't have Christmas, instead on the twenty-fourth this mountaineer guy returns and they have a parade through the street with ponies, donkeys, geese, pigs, goats, sheep, oxen, people dancing every one in traditional costume (including cute little kids[children not goats]) and some people carry a paper maché man (the mountaineer) on I guess you'd describe it as a throne made out of hay. It was very interesting and I'm glad my family took me to see it. We then got roasted chestnuts (so good) before returning home where Sandra and I made a lemon mousse desert (I got to chose the desert). then we all got ready and went to my aunts house for dinner. My cousin is my age and she and I get along well, we don't hang out very much but when we see each other it's nice because we have a lot in common and she's one of only a few people Lucas is almost outgoing with which was nice to see. We basically just sat around and talked all night but I was tired so when they all starting skyping my other cousins who's in New Zealand, at three am, I sat down on the couch. Three am is late, especially after being out the night before until seven am, and the night before that until four am.... so I was exhausted and fell asleep. On the couch. To be woken up by Sandra saying "vamos Mariel" (let's go) and me replying[apparently] "¿donde?" (where?). In the car I looked at the clock - 5:15am. I enjoy nightlife now, a lot more than I did before, but I'm starting to feel like Spain is asking me to be nocturnal AND enjoy the sun everyday. I just can't do this. When we got home I went straight to bed, then Sandra came in with my present. When she left I started to cry.

Christmas morning I was woken up midday to go to church where I stood in line to kiss a dolls knee. Back home I helped prepare some of the meal, made a plate of dulces (sweets; turón and mantecados and other spanish goodies) and opened my present; alone. Then skyped with my family before my aunt and cousins came over. We ate a lot, the spanish Christmas dinner is quite different - basically a normal meal but with a special kind of meat that seemed to me to be bones and fat - potatoes were still my favourite part although they weren't same. A great desert drink I love is a combination of champagne and lemon sorbet, we had it Christmas eve and day, and I'm pretty sure it's a one to one ratio of each put into a blender (enjoy dad :D ) and the desert was very good as well. I was stuffed. But then went on the trampoline with my brother and cousin. People left a bit past midnight and I went to bed.

This time of year really doesn't feel like Christmas but I had a great day and am really going to miss this family when I move. Lucas told me I should stay here all year and just have the other students move around <3 . Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!