SO: Not only is today Christmas Eve, but it is also officially 5 months that I’ve been living here, in Germany. Time scares me. It runs before you can blink, and changes your life before you know what happened. But I’m also very thankful for that. I was never very good with change before I began my Exchange. It was difficult, frustrating, annoying, at times seemed useless, and more, but now it’s one of the things I appreciate the most; because that’s exactly what got me to where I am.

Christmas is celebrated early (to me) here in Germany. [Just about] every family celebrates Christmas today, on Dezember 24^th, and I’m not really sure what tomorrow is seen as, but let’s say that it’s different than what I’m used to. Basically the whole season this year is/was surprisingly different than I’m used to. In my real family, we get and decorate our Christmas tree closer to the beginning of the month, and we use lots of different ornaments, and do it all together. Presents slowly accumulate under the tree during the month, Christmas music is played daily in my house and swarms radio stations, we have Christmas decorations; lights, little villages, figures, the Nativity Scene, and more, I make special cookies with my sisters and mom, and watch more Christmas movies than anything else. I absolutely love it. And it’s also extremely rare to not have a white Christmas.

My December this year was nothing like that. I’m yet to see a single Christmas movie, one of the first holiday songs I heard was about two days ago, and besides a few this morning I’ve heard next to none. I’ve made no holiday cookies and only seen and eaten a few, we have very seldom decorations around our house, we got our tree and put it up about yesterday, and today I decorated it alone (my host mom did the lights, but said decorating it is a girls job, but the whole thing barely took me 15 minutes with only 3 different ornaments). I haven’t seen a single add on TV that had anything to do with Christmas (I’m used to the good old ABC 25 Days of Christmas<3), and also have yet to watch a single movie, did not go Christmas shopping with my family, and we also have no snow (it’s been surprisingly warm for December). Needless to say: it doesn’t exactly feel like Christmas (not to mention that I don’t understand why everyone celebrates today, if Christmas is the 25^th, and not today). It feels slightly special, like a nice day; we had goose, special potatoes, and a kind of cabbage (both extremely common here (not the goose)), and I loved being able to go to a church service today (although my family is not religious) because my real family does every year; but overall, Christmas isn’t exactly Christmas. I miss baking cookies with my mom, decorating the tree with my sisters, watching Christmas movies with my dad, going to the House by the Side of the Road, Christmas shopping together, decorating our house in red, green, and lights, seeing more of my family, and hearing my favorite Christmas songs every day. I miss a lot (the season I’m used to in general), but I’m still not homesick. I’m surprised actually, because I know it’s really common for Exchange Students this time of year, or for someone like me that doesn’t really recognize the season the same way, but I’m also pretty happy for that, that I’m not overly upset, and wishing to go home. I still love it here; I just love Christmas with my family.

Christmas time around here really is beautiful, though. I love going into Hamburg to the Weihnachtsmarkts (Christmas Markets) which are extremely popular and common here, the lights decorating the Hauptbahnhof (main train station) and parts of the city, ice skating with my friends, and due to my specific request, I was able to make a make-due Lebkuchen Häuschen (kind of like a Gingerbread House) with my host mom yesterday, which I was really happy about.

Today we all kind of had a late start. I woke up earlier than usual, but early afternoon I kept my mom company as she worked on the lunch/dinner (there was really nothing to help with), my mom’s friend came over and we ate together, talked for a while, went to a church service, and now were back. I’m not exactly sure what we may do later on (I’m Skyping my family soon<3), but that’s basically what my Christmas looks like. Tomorrow, actually Christmas, unfortunately I’m not all that excited for. My mom has work all day, Katrin (my mom’s friend) leaves early to visit family, and my brother also leaves early (all probably before I even wake up) to go visit his dad for the rest of the week. That means I’ll be alone most of the day, and won’t be able to be with friends because they all have families to be with. This Christmas will be the most different than any I have ever had. I look forward so much to Skyping my family, and plan on catching up on my Christmas movies tomorrow.

Also earlier this month we had our second orientation for 1890 (my district here) which was in Lübeck (about 40 min NE of Hamburg by train), which is a really beautiful city. It’s famous for is Weihnachtsmarkt, Lübecker Marzipan, and also the many old churches there, that we also got to visit. After a day and evening in the city and a night bowling, we stayed in groups in different host families, and the next day we met again. Each country was to make a small presentation about Christmas in their country, and we finished with our entire group singing Feliz Navidad J

I switch host families in about two weeks, and switch with my friend Daniel from Mexico, who’s family I was able to meet during a Musikabend (my host dad is a musician) which was really great.

It’s all different, confusing, difficult, frustrating, happy, sad, rushing by, my favorite thing, and so much more.

Frohes Weihnachtsfest!

Rathausplatz am Alster zum Wiehnachten : Town hall plaza on the Alster for Christmas

Rathaus Wiehnachtsmarkt

In Lübeck für der 2. Orientation mit Ariel (Taiwan) : In Lübeck for the 2nd orientation with Ariel

Eislaufen in Hamburg mit Matheus, Hideyuki, und Yuri (Brasilien) : Ice skating in Hamburg with Matheus, Hideyuki, and Yuri

Weihnachts Deco in Hamburg Hauptbahnhof : Christmas decorations in the Hamburg Main Station

Skypen mit meine Schwestern! (Ich auf dem Computer) : Skyping with my sisters! (Me, on the computer)