Christmas, the Happy Reunion, New Years and Everything Nice...

Well it has been a while, I could lie and tell you I was just too busy to write this but honestly that would be dishonest. I am writing now after what has been a month because of some slight pressure put on by a source of whom I will not name, but she is my mom so that might be a hint. Since my last blog there has been christmas so I believe I will start there.

Christmas tends not to conform to the standard holiday tradition for my family, its been a few years since we were all just at home and waking up early in the morning to open presents. I can't complain though for a few reasons. First, I had my fair share of those when I was a kid and second considering the fact that I was many a mile away from my home, it wasn't really an option in the first place. Anyways, I'll start the day before hand, christmas eve. This day was the most similar to christmas because I did have to wake up early and run downstairs. Not for my presents though, I was waiting for my family this time. So I sat downstairs in the boys dorm waiting for my parents (who were most likely lost) to find my little school on the border of France. I sat waiting by a christmas tree which was was finely decorated but still seemed barren because of the lack of presents beneath it. I waited a while longer and became a bit upset that I had woken up so early for my late-arriving parents and brother. After an hour or more they did arrive and we had our delightful reunion. It had been since early September since I had seen my parents and since June for my brother because he had been off in a far away island nation for the past year. It was a very nice christmas indeed after having been away for so long it was nice to have a piece of home come back to me.

We spent the remainder of our week traveling around France and Switzerland. We went to Geneva and on a train ride up a mountain in Switzerland, then we went about France to some smaller places then up to Paris. Paris was Paris and delightful as always. This was my second time there and considering that I was the only french-speaking (sort of) person in our group I was made official tour guide. A bit of a daunting task but Paris is quite difficult to get bored in especially if you are there for only a few days. We saw all the sights or at least the most important stereotypical Paris things: The Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysées, the Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the Catacombs of Paris. It was a very good time but a bit rushed but honestly you may have to spend a few weeks in Paris or more if you wish to not feel rushed trying to see it all.

Everybody left the 31 of December early in the morning. The only spent a week because Ryan needed to get back and get a few things and get adjusted, having been out of the states for such a long time. I spent New Years more or less alone which was not too upsetting because I had woken up at 4 that morning to see my family off. he last week of vacation was spent mostly trying to study and remember all that had been lost in the past month. There was more than I wished to take note of. But, school is back in session and I have begun to relearn all that was lost and learn new things all at the same time.

2011 was quite the year and from my experience each year seems to get better so I can only imagine what else there is to be discovered. 2012 has a lot to live up to but I still have about 6 months of it left in Europe which will likely turn out to be amazing as were the first 4.