The AFS family

Ya know that place? With those people? That we went to one time? And you did that thing that you do? Yea… Neither do I.

AFS + Spaniards

I had no idea how to start this blog post and whenever my family tells vague stories, they usually start like the one above. So there ya go. They always say the beginning’s the hardest to write and now it’s written.

So this past weekend was our last AFS reunion before the final one in Madrid, before getting on our planes to go home. This reunion was special because it wasn’t only the usual exchange students from Asturias and Castilla-Leon, but also Spanish students who are going abroad with AFS either this summer, or next school year. Talking to them was so incredible. Crazy how fast the roles have switched, and now I’m the experienced one: reflecting on my year and giving advice to those who are about to start their own journey.  It was especially fun to talk to the students who are going to the US. They have so many questions about how it is, the stereotypes, the food, and the weather. I definitely see their fear behind some of their words, but it’s so overpowered by excitement and wanderlust in their eyes. It’s funny because I remember when I was in their position. Still hadn’t received my host family, an amazing summer just around the corner, and sooo naïve about the future. I feel for them and I’m excited for them.

AFS goes indian...

The actual orientation wasn’t that interesting. We did the typical weird AFS activities, even dressed up as Indians at one point. As always, the best things happened in between the sessions.

Surprise 3am pictures

Although the group of “experienced” AFSers spent a good amount of time with the Spaniards, we couldn’t help but wander off on our own a little and find comfort in being with each other. This might seem strange, and you probably won’t understand where I’m coming from if you’ve never been an exchange student, but these 10 other students, they’re my family now. Just 9 months ago, we’d never even heard of each other’s names, at the first orientation we were still learning who was who, but by the midstay orientation, we’d formed a bond that I’m hoping will last forever. We just get each other. We vent to each other about everything. They’re some of the first people I go to when I’m feeling down because they’ve been there before. They’ve seen me at my complete worst in October as I left the orientation in tears, they’ve seen me when I’ve showered in rain boots and ate nonstop in January, and now, they’ve seen me tanning and singing Taylor Swift songs at the top of my lungs. They’ve seen me at 4am and 7:30pm. In a sweatshirt and yogas with no makeup on. Crying, laughing, happy, and depressed. They’ve seen it all. And hey… they still talk to me so I guess that’s a good sign! I can’t begin to describe how lucky I am to have them behind me. I know I can tell them anything and they’ll always support me. They’re more than a community. They’re my family.

The fam

So this weekend was definitely bittersweet. At one point, we received letters that we had written at the first orientation in October. My letter literally left me with my mouth wide open and my heart pounding. It’s incredible how much has changed since then and when I look back at how far I’ve come, I can’t help my tear up a little. Reading my words was so powerful.

Leaving that camp was also bittersweet. Knowing the next time I see those people will be when we are about to board our plane in Madrid. I never would've thought I'd become this close to people I've only seen three times in 9 months, but it's happened. Love you all :)

P.S Please excuse my awkward introduction. I was too lazy to pull something interesting out...

La Ciudad de Amor

If you've never been to Paris, do everything you can to go. I can't even begin to describe how beautiful it is. What I can say is that in just six short days, I fell in love with the timeless city of love.

Just imagine, you're walking down a street of pebbles. Bright sun on your face and the smell of warm crepes in the air. The apartments to your left and right are all the same light beige, intricately detailed columns, doors, and balconies, all only reaching three or four stories as to not block out the beautiful blue sky. If you look up, you can see chic french people sipping tea or coffee on their beautiful iron terraces. Bustling around you is the life of the city, the people. Street performers, lost tourists, and actual natives trying to get to work in time. Overlooking the city, the eiffel tower can be seen from almost every place you go. The beautiful cathedrals, government buildings, and museums are numerous, each one unique. The streets are filled with charming bakeries, classy restaurants, typical touristy stands, and high end fashion brands like Gucci, Prada, and Luis Vuitton. If you get a chance to go up the eiffel tower, or maybe the arc of triomphe, you realize the dense city that surrounds you is so full of history, but yet so alive.

If I could go back, I would walk around without a map, or a watch, and lose myself in those parisian streets.

Coming back was a weird feeling. It marked only two months left here in Spain. Like I always knew would happen, I'm beginning to feel a mix of emotions but I'm not going there yet. I'm just embracing the moments as they come.

There are waaaayy too many pictures to post them all but if you're interested, I'll be posting them on my picture blog so check it out! http://marthainspain2012.tumblr.com

Here are some of the highlights:

boarding the train

Arc of triomphe

After climbing up 200 something stairs to the top of the arc

Notre Dame

Sunset from the Eiffel tower

Dancing in disney

Reunited after 7 months

When the bell rang at 2:30 on wednesday, for most of the students it meant the beginning of spring break, no more studying, and freedom at last, but for me, it meant I was one step closer to seeing my parents. I had the opportunity that most exchange students never have a chance to get; I brought probably the most important part of my old life (my family) into my new life here abroad. Many exchange students live their wholes lives in two different, separate worlds, never intertwining the two. By having my parents come visit me, I made my life one whole journey, instead of two separate chapters.

Having my parents here gave me an insight I'd never had a chance to see before. In a way, I kind of saw my old self in them. They gave up complete control to me to plan each day. When they got on the plane in Philadelphia, the only thing they knew for sure was they were coming to Spain, and they would see me. They arrived in Madrid alone, unable to understand a word of the language that people were blabbering around them. They managed to work their way around with hand gestures, the few words they knew, and those beautiful irish smiles.

That was me just seven months ago. I entered a world completely foreign with no understanding of where I was going, how I was going there, who'd I'd be going with, when I'd be returning ect. I totally gave up control to people I had never met and hoped I'd make it out alive. Sure, I studied spanish for a few years in school and I knew how to say "Hola, que tal?" and I knew basic vocab like "sol" (sun) "montana" (mountain) "leche" (milk) "chocolate" (that one's pretty obvious) ect. but nothing can prepare you for that feeling when, for the first time, you're surrounded by the language so pure, so strong, and you can't pick up a single word. I could relate to the blank expressions that I saw on my parents' faces as someone would stop them in a store, mistaking them for a native, or perhaps when I would start chatting with the bartender. I was there one time. The amazing thing is to see that old part of me in them, and see how far I've come.

I successfully translated the whole back and forth conversation between my parents and my host family, with the help of my host siblings. I even managed to keep a conversation with the waiters at restaurants without struggling. With a few pointers from the receptionist at the hotel, I successfully found my way around the city without getting lost. I was no longer that zoned out foreigner, but instead, a confident, blond, spanish speaker with a slight american accent.

What still feels like a dream to me, is that my parents were in this country with me. The whole thing just seems so surreal. I acted like their experienced tour guide, bringing them from town to town, city to city, giving directions, and never getting lost. I showed them places that at one time, meant nothing to me, but now, are part of my life: my school, my apartment, where I hang out with my friends in the afternoons, and where we go out on saturday nights. This whole world that has slowly become a significant part of my life. I felt so proud to show off the things that they were still strangers to, especially the food. Of course they had to try the traditional "Fabada Asturiana" (bean dish from my region). They also had to eat as much chorizo and spanish tortilla as they could because, as I told them, they're only here once so they might as well.

I could see in their eyes not only their interest in everything new, but also their fascination. They've heard stories and seen pictures of my life here, but until now, they've never had a chance to put those faces, or those places into reality. Everything was new to them, everything a mystery. They only experienced the surface level of the cultural differences that have now become second nature to me.

Being with them has helped me see how much I've changed, and how much I've stayed the same. We still get along just like always, laughing together, making fun of each other, and maybe occasionally, being competitive. One day during lunch, over probably the best pizza I've had in Spain, we began to talk about how each of us has changed. Although not as drastic as my adventure in Spain, my parents have both taken on big changes in their lives this past year that have forced them to stay up working long nights, go outside their comfort zone, and look at things from a different perspective. The point is, we've all changed in some way, big or small, but that hasn't hurt our relationship.

Seeing them was a dream, and leaving them was bittersweet. I know three months is nothing compared to the seven months I've been here. I also know that once those three months are over, I'm not sure when I'll see some of these people, or this beautiful town again. I'm just so thankful to have the parents I have. They've supported me without question and have encouraged me to be the best person I can be. Truely thanks to them, I am where I am today. I love them more than I could ever tell them, but I think they know that already :)

The weekend I spent with them will remain one of my favorite weekends here in Spain. I can't wait to hug them again.

Boring post

The truth is, there's no point in this post. I had no intent to write a blog post until much later because I had nothing new to share, but my dad actually gave me the idea to write this boring blog post. "It might be reassuring to someone reading it in those first difficult weeks - as bad as your start was, there is hope, it does get boring!" He told me. So this post is brought to you thanks to him.

The fact that this life here in Spain has become something normal for me was inevitable since the beginning, but I could've never imagined calling it normal. How can living in Spain ever be normal!? I thought. Well, it doesn't hit you all at once. It sneaks up on you. Day to day you don't get knocked off your feet so much, you're not struggling with the language, and you start really knowing the people, and the places around you. You start to form a schedule. You won't feel like a deer in the headlights when someone addresses you directly, you how to formally talk to elders, and you start to learn how to crack a joke. You understand almost everything in class, which allows you to completely ignore the teacher while you day dream. You cram the night before for big tests, you always talk about how all you want to do is sleep, and the people in the local candy store know your name. Basically, you start to live in your surroundings and make your own life here.

So as this post doesn't really have a point, I could go rambling on about things that don't really matter for days. What I'm trying to say behind all of this is that a month has gone by since anything really "big" happened and I'm okay with that. Next week, I'll be turning 16, and less than two weeks later, I'll be walking around Navia with my mom and dad. Then, three weeks later, I'll be in Paris and then I'll be on the final stretch of my time here in Spain. Sometimes, a break is good. It's like the calm before the storm of events that will lead up to my final weeks here in Spain.

So to people back home; nothing new over here in Spain. Just chilling.

And to future AFS students; no matter how crazy it seems, you'll end up calling this foreign country home.

That's all for now!

A point on the horizon

One of the most beautiful things you can experience is the sunset or the sunrise. I've been lucky to see them both, in many different places. I watched the sunset in Hawaii surrounded by my family. I also watched the sunset on a boat right off the coast of Maine. Just this summer, I got up at 5:00am with my best friend Molly to watch the sunrise on the beach. I'm lucky that I can add Spain to the list of places I've seen the sunset. It's really beautiful here, the way the sunsets behind the mountains. No wonder we're so obsessed with sunrises and sunsets, it's a natural type of beauty that we get to see everyday not once, but twice, if we want to. There's just something magical about the way the sun falls beneath our line of vision, casting beautiful, rich colors across the sky, and the way it always appear again; peaking it's tip slowly and then all at once, lighting up the sky to start a new day.

Sunset in Navia

Halfway is a major point. At one time in my life, not too long ago, it seemed like just another point on the horizon, so far away, so untouchable, a hypothetical place I thought I would never reach. But I shouldn't have been so ignorant about time. Time doesn't stop for anyone, or anything. My five months in Spain have made me believe that time doesn't move constantly. It's not a linear passage of events, but instead, our messed up, biased perception of our surroundings. There were times when I thought my day dragged on for weeks, like the moments were moving in slow motion, and there were times when I wondered how another week had possibly flown by. Anyone who has asked me, knows that when I look back on my five months I think two things- It feels like yeaarrrsss but it feels like just yesterday. How is that possible? Well... it's just my messed up, bias perception.

So now, the halfway point has come and gone and each day is one less day that I have left. I'm no longer homesick, I am so happy here, but at the same time I'm so excited to go home. Talking to some of my fellow exchange students made me realize that most of them have already gotten to the point of never wanting to come home, but for me, that's just not the case. I don't know if it ever will be the case. Of course I love Spain. I love the culture, the family, the food, everything! but America will always be my home. It will always be the country that made me who I am, filled with the people I love, and the culture I come from. I'm trying to learn as much about Spain as I can while I'm here, but in the end I know that I will be going back to the US one day, and I'm okay with that.

So my point on the horizon now is June 29th. A day that will come, without a doubt, but in this moment it seems so unreal. I know that day will bring a mix of emotions like a tidal wave and there is no way I can do anything to prepare for it. Even though watching the sunrise or sunset is beautiful, it lasts for mere minutes. Just like some dates we have in our head, for me, the end of this journey, seem like magical days, unlike all the rest, in reality they aren't any different. The sun will rise, the time will tick, and the sun will set. So with that in mind, I'm not focusing on the horizon point right now, but instead, looking around me, taking it all in, because I know I won't be here forever.


Happy Belated Birthday Ekorb <3

"The secret to living the life of your dreams is to start living the life of your dreams today, in every little way you possibly can." -Mike Dooley

Lots of great things have happened since my last blog post! I had an amazing night out with my friends on New Years Eve, many walks to the beach in the warm weather, a Kings Day I'll never forget, the beginning of the new school year (not so great) and being a podium girl in the national bike race here in Navia. These past 13 days of the New Year have flown by and with so many things to look forward to in the next two months, I'm sure things will continue to fly.

What would the holidays be without a little competition? Maybe that's just my O'Brien side coming out, but I've always loved a little competition. When my friends and family noticed that I like to run so much, they told me about a race here in Navia on New Years Eve and insisted that I had to enter.  Going into it, I knew absolutely nothing. I'm kind of used to that now though, getting into a car and having no idea where you're going, or being told that you're spending the day in the city 20 minutes before you have to leave, or sitting through hours of classes understanding anything, yeah.. I've definitely been there. Being an exchange student definitely makes you flexible and adapt to constant change, and you just get used to things constantly surprising you. So anyway, I didn't find out that the race was a 3k until I was standing on the starting line. I didn't really know the route either but I figured I would just follow whoever was in front of me. I ended up beating a girl in the last straightaway to take second place overall out of about 10 other girls my age. I felt pretty good but I felt even better after, when I found out the first place girl, and the girl I pulled ahead of, were both part of the regional Asturias running team. My favorite part, was the awards ceremony when they called my name with the introduction, "and in second place, an american exchange student, Martha O'Brien." I got some pretty funny looks from the crowd but I think now, half the town knows who I am. The awards ceremony ended around 8, and I had to run home (literally), shower, blow dry and straighten my hair, and get everything together before going out that night.

New Years Eve remains to be one of my favorite nights in Spain. Weeks of planning outfits, talking about who's going where, and trying to convince the parents to let us stay out one hour longer, led up to a night I will never forget. I had an amazingly delicious family dinner, similar to Christmas Eve, and then counted down to the New Year by shoving 12 grapes in my mouth for every strike of the bell. My host sister and I got ready and met our group of friends at 1:00. We had a great time just talking, dancing, and taking pictures until 4:00 when we had to go back home. Although I could've stayed for another hour or two, by feet were basically falling off by the time I got home, and I literally fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

Santa Clause didn't come to my house here on Christmas Day, but on January 6th, the three wise men stopped by! It felt like the closest one could get to Christmas without it being Christmas. I woke up and joined my family in the living room that was filled with presents. What I found interesting was that they don't only put their presents under the tree like we do at home. It was almost like a hid and go seek edition of Christmas. There were presents in the bookcase, on the couches, and even on the bottom selves of tables. The kings brought me a beautiful bracelet, a recipe book to write down all my favorite recipes so I can bring them home and cook spanish food all the time (that's also a present for Mom :) lentils!) and an adorable jacket/sweater that I had found in a store earlier but hadn't bought because it was too expensive.


 Although I loved my gifts, the best part was watching the faces of my family as they opened mine. For Lucia, I asked my parents to send one of those party sized M&M bags because she's in love with them, and I bought her pajama pants from her favorite store. As she said, she'll be eating M&Ms for the rest of her life. For my host dad, I bought him a disk of Philadelphia Jazz music because he once told me he wants to go to Philadelphia one day and play his saxophone in a Jazz club there because he's heard such great things about it. My host brother was the hardest to find something for because I only met him a week before Kings Day. He just so happened to mention to me one time though, that he loved the NBA and he usually would stay up until 3 or 4 in the morning just to watch the live games on his laptop. So for him, I bought a 76ers flag for him to hang in his madrid dorm room. And lastly, for my host mom, I bought her two walking dead comic books of the season that's about to come out. Ever since I first got here, we've spent out Monday nights together watching the new episodes and then she would spend the whole week looking up videos and comic strips of things that were going to happen in the following one. She spent the whole day, and night, on kings day reading them and she finished the first one in just two days.

After all the gifts were unwrapped, we had the typical Kings Day breakfast. We ate a round cake called "Roscon" and hot chocolate. The Roscon cake is similar to the kings cake at Mardi Gras in the US. It has an object hidden in the cake somewhere and whoever gets it has to pay for the cake the following year. Of course since we're all family, that doesn't really matter because the parents end up paying for it anyway. My host brother got the little doll this year but he gave it to me to keep as a memory of the day. Kings Day meant that we only had one day left of the winter vacations and that soon enough school would be starting again. It was a bittersweet day. The holidays in Spain were overall very different. Different than what I expected, different than home, but not a bad different. I had amazing times with my friends, and I got to bond more with my family, and by the end, I even could tell that my Spanish had improved.

That first week of school was rough. Going from sleeping in until 11:30/12 everyday to waking up at 7:30 and going to classes was the worst. Teachers slammed us right back into everything, as if we hadn't been gone a day. Most teachers gave out tons of handouts and talked about the big projects and plans they had for the new semester which just stressed me out thinking about all the things I would have to do. During breaks, no one was in the mood to talk because everyone was still half asleep so we would all eat in silence. That first week was hard, but the weekend brought an interesting change of moods.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were cyclocross  bike races in Navia. These weren't just a "grab your bike from the garage and bring your kids out on a nice day," bike rides, these were national competitions. It wasn't a typical rode race either. Cyclocross is, as wikipedia says, a bike race that consist of many laps of a short course (2-3km) featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount, carrying the bike while navigating the obstical and remount. In this particular course, there was a heavy sand part, two staircases, and tons and tons of mud because it had rained all day. There were riders from Asturias, but also from Madrid, Andalucia (the south), and Barcelona. All the hotels in Navia were jam packed and there were press cameras and reporters walking around the streets. I was surprised that such a small town would be hosting such an important competition but my host family told me that Navia is known for their sports programs and availability which is not  always so good in other parts of Spain. My host sister Lucia had to go on Saturday to give the prizes out to the winning cyclists so my host mom and I went to take pictures. The ceremony was just about to start when a women I had never seen before came up to me and said, "Are you Martha?" and I responded, "uh.. yes?" and she said, "Would you like to help give out prizes?" I looked at my host mom, we were both so surprised, and I just smiled and nodded. One of the things I've really taken into account here in Spain is to try everything and to do everything. I'm only here once so why not!? I went backstage and the gave me a bouquet of flowers and it was my job to go up to the first place cyclist and hand them the flowers and then kiss them two times on the cheek, the normal greeting in most european countries. I had a great time, and the neighbor of my host family, who's an amazing photographer, took a ton of pictures so I can't wait to see them. I guess I didn't mess up because they invited me back the next day for the final, most important races. As the lady in charge told me, "There will be a ton of people, and a lot of cameras, you should come!" So that's exactly what I did. Guess I can check that off my bucket list not once, but twice! I was a podium girl :)

The past month has consisted of some of my favorite memories in Spain and it's bittersweet that in just two short weeks, I'll be at my half way point in my journey here. It's not here yet though so I'm not going to go into some deep refection about what I've learned and how grateful I am right now, but you can be sure that post will be coming sooner or later ;) I do want to say though thank you to everyone who reached out to me over the holiday season. Being away from home for the holidays isn't easy, but it's made easier by the people who make you feel like you're at home, when you're thousands of miles away.

There's a common expression for the new years that goes, "New Year, new me." and even though I think it's a good way to look at things from a clean slate, starting new, I think a better saying would be, "New Year, a step closer to the real me." It's not as clean and neat, but in my case, it works better. I'm not some strange person that no one back home would recognize here, I'm still me. When I come home, I won't be the same person I was when I left, I'll just be more me.

Check out my picture blog! http://marthainspain2012.tumblr.com
un besito <3

Turron, Noche Buena, and a whole bunch of differences

"There's no place like home for the holidays no matter how far away you roam. When you long for the sunshine of a friendly gaze, for the holidays you can't beat home sweet home." My first holidays away from home! I'm warning you, this is my longest post yet. Go ahead, scroll down and see for yourself. I just have sooo much to tell you!

Turron de Tres Chocolates

We started the Christmas season around the second week of December by putting up the small Christmas tree in the corner of our living room, and spending several hours precisely arranging the gold and red ornaments throughout the branches. My host mom put various candles and decorations throughout the house and there was definitely a Christmas feeling in the air. She also bought boxes and boxes of turron. If you've never tasted turron, which I'm assuming many people in the US haven't, you're definitely missing out. There are endless types, almond, chocolate, fruit, nuts ect. but my personal favorite, not to surprise anyone, is the triple chocolate. (note to fellow Spain AFSers: run to the nearest Alimerka and buy this before they get rid of it. You will not regret your 2 euros) Since the beginning of December, there has always been a box of turron in the pantry for after lunch, mid-afternoon, after dinner, or perhaps a little snack before going to bed. I made a joke with my host family that after January 1st, all we are eating is lettuce and tomatoes. No but I actually wasn't joking. They know me so well now that after I eat a lot, they jokingly say, "A correr??" (To run?) That's what i feel like i do here, eat and run, eat and run.

So the real festivities started on Christmas Eve, known as Noche Buena (good night) here in Spain. It's actually bigger than Christmas Day. So I started the day by running (big surprise). Crazy thing was I went running in a tshirt and shorts. The past days have been hot here. Totally opposite from home right? Didn't you guys have a white Christmas? What a dream :) So after my run, Lucia (my host sister) and I ran some errands for my host mom. We picked up groceries for the big feast that night, went to the movie store to rent a chick flick, and went to the cellphone store because Lucia wants a new phone for kings day. When we got home, we had a normal lunch followed by siesta. Around 5:30, Lucia and I went out on the street to meet some friends. We headed back early, around 8, because it was cold and raining. At home, we ate potato chips and watched tv together until 9, when we all went out as a family to the local bar. As tradition in Spain has it, with our drinks, the bartenders gave us free food. More potato chips anyone? By the time we got back home around 10, I was definitely not ready for the mountain of food I was about to eat.

We started with small foods to pick out, like appetizers. There was jumbo shrimp, cheeses, ham, bread, pate (delicious spread of chicken liver. I swear it's better than it sounds) and other spreads. I could've stopped there, but no. Next, we had a full bowl of noodle soup. The main dish was the neck meat of a cow I think. Sounds a bit bizarre but it was so tender and literally melted in your mouth. And the desserts.. oh the desserts. By the time they took out the chocolate mousse, lemon tart, and various chocolates, I was eating for my heart, not my stomach. I had a little chocolate mousse, a small slice of lemon tart, and a cube of chocolate. You have to try everything right?! Let's just say that I probably set a record for the biggest food baby ever after I finished. I couldn't bring myself to move off the couch so there I sat, for the next hour and a half with my family watching some random movie. I slept quite well that night.

Christmas day, I woke up at 12:30. That would NEVER fly in my house back home. The level of excitement I have usually wakes me up at 6:30 and I run into Matt's room to wake him up (and he is always so happy to see my face bright and early christmas day). That's how Christmas morning always worked for us. We would sit together in Matt's room waiting and waiting for what seemed like forever for Grandma to get situated in the living room. Then Mom and Dad would knock on the door and we would run down the stairs; balls of energy, faces lit up in excitement on Christmas morning. But as I knew very well before today, Christmas in another country is completely different. I just didn't realize how different it could be.

So I woke up, half slept walked into the kitchen, and prepared myself my usual oatmeal and yogurt breakfast. I sat there alone, watching the travel channel because there was nothing else on, and eating. It took me a minute or two to register that hey, it's Christmas! My immediate surge of excitement very quickly fell as I looked around and saw the reality. I was eating breakfast alone, at 12:30, without a hint of gifts, in a foreign country on Christmas Day. Well I'm a positive person so I thought, at least I have the rest of the day ahead of me to see what happens on Christmas in Spain and if all else fails, I still get to skype with the whole fam tonight. As I finished my breakfast, my host parents and my sister came into the kitchen in their sneakers and workout pants. "Hola! Buenos dias!" They were going on a walk to the beach and were wondering if I wanted to come. Perfect! I thought. Anything to get my mind off of being homesick. The walk was refreshing and beautiful. The ocean was so blue. In that moment, even though I forgot it was Christmas, I also forgot why I was sad and I just enjoyed being by the beach. The ocean really is a magical place.


So the rest of my day consisted of a regular lunch followed by siesta, watching about 5 old tv episodes, writing a few letters, and wishing my friends back home Merry Christmas. Some friends came to my pathetic rescue by inviting me over around 6. We played Just Dance on the wii for 2 hours straight. The last time I played Just Dance was with one of my bestfriends Claire Pearce at her beach house over the summer. I'm pretty sure we spent a whole day playing. Such good memories. Happy birthday my love <3

In most houses in Spain, they don't celebrate Santa Clause. They say it's an American tradition. Instead, they give their presents on kings day, also known as "Los Reyes Magos." But that will be another blog post.

My highlight of Christmas Day was definitely my skype with Matt and then the entire family at my house back home. It was great to talk to everyone; Aunt Ann, Katie, Emily, Jack, Patti, Joe, Joshua, Kenan, Grandma, Uncle Doc, Aunt Kathy, Aunt Mary, Uncle Gary, Maria, Mom, Dad, and even Pepper wearing his reindeer antlers. I hope I didn't forget anyone! I really felt like I was there with them; making jokes, laughing, and catching up. A big kiss and hug to all of you! Thanks to Matt also for sharing another amazing video blog about Christmas in France. I love having a brother abroad at the same time as me. Even though I know it's really hard for my parents, he's the first person I go to when I need to vent or when I'm homesick because not only is he family and he knows me more than anyone, but he's also going through a lot of the same stuff I am. Love you so much big bro. Sorry for getting all sappy on ya ;)

So as I sit here, just a few minutes of Christmas left, I'm okay. There were moments of my day when all I wanted to do was cry. When all I wanted was to reach through a computer screen and hug everyone I loved who were on the other side. When I wanted to stay in bed all day but instead forced myself to get up and live. Yea, Christmas was different this year, but hey, so is my whole life. I'd be silly to think that christmas away from home would be easy, but just like every experience I've had here so far, I can say that I made it. I can say that it taught me so much about myself, and that it will get better. It will always get better. So if I can't find a little Christmas spirit, I'll make some of my own. I'll listen to my Christmas music and continue to smile.

Merry Christmas to everyone! I love and miss you all