Christmas break

This year I went back to Germany for the holidays, basically the same trip as last year but just a little shorter. I started at my Uncle’s in little Waldshut-Tiengenfor Christmas, headed to my Grandma’s for a few days, then to my cousin’s for New Year’s in Heidelberg. Not too much to report that wasn’t said last year. I am so blessed to have family close by, especially family that is not only willing to take me in, but actually eager to do so.

When I was little, having a German mother and visiting Germany often was never anything special to me. I didn’t appreciate how cool it was to spend 3 weeks every other summer in my grandma’s 400 year old house, or to have a personal guide to small-town life in another country. As a kid it was just a fun vacation to take during the summer, and I liked playing with my cousins or swimming in the lake in my grandma’s town. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized what a special opportunity I had to be so close to my “roots”, something that many Americans (specifically Caucasian) don’t have the privilege of even finding out, let alone experiencing first-hand.

I hadn’t been back since I was probably 14 or 15 when I visited Nanna (grandma) with my friend Max in the summer of 2007. I had been studying in Salamanca and once I knew Max and I would be traveling Europe the first thing I wanted to do was to go to her town, Stetten, to be able to show someone else “Look! This is really where my grandma lived and where I would come in the summer!” It’s the type of place that is so different, so off the beaten path, that I almost had to prove to someone that it was real, and I did so with pride. I’m not sure where this pride came from, but I realized that in those key formative years between visits that this place was something extremely special and I was SO blessed with the opportunity for those experiences as a child. Having Max along caused me to see it as if I was looking at it for the first time again- from a new set of eyes and with a new appreciation. I am excited to be able to return someday, maybe with my own kids, and recount all the happy memories.

After I got back, there was a good week or so where I had a lot of time on my own, with my roommates and many friends gone for vacation. I had really, really wanted to go home for the holidays this year, but I didn’t really have the money, nor did my family think it was a great idea. However as the holidays approached I felt this crazy yearning to go home that I hadn’t felt ever before in all my time abroad. I missed it a lot and kinda felt like I needed it to recharge and help me push through the remaining 6 months abroad. With those sentiments in hand, plus the loneliness of that first week I was having it a little rough to start 2010, but things have picked up considerably since then.

Now all of a sudden I have a lot on my plate in the coming months, and once again time is gonna fly by! I’m going to Germany to visit my mom when she comes in mid-February which I’m so excited for! She didn’t visit last year so meeting up with her in Germany is going to be a nice treat and hopefully somewhat of the reminder from home that I missed out on over break. Then comes Semana Blanca, a week of vacation at the end of February, which I don’t yet have plans for but I’m thinking about visiting my old host family in Salamanca. Then after a few UCLA friends stop through in March, I just found out my good friend Jon is coming for 2 weeks over my spring break!! I can’t wait for that and I’m actually looking forward to traveling for the first time this year! By the time he leaves it’ll be April already, and I’ll have less than two months of classes. Crazy!

At this point, my flight home (which I purchased already so I’d have a cheaper, round-trip flight) is set for July 1st. I’m currently debating on whether or not I want to change it to be sooner. Originally I had left the month of June for traveling, especially with some friends talking about visiting, but at this point I haven’t heard any solid plans, and it might be nice to come home with some money this year which to this point I have been good about saving. If anyone reading this is thinking about coming in the summer, let me know now so I can try to plan things! Please!