Home for the Holidays

American Christmas at its finest

This time next week, I'll be back on US soil, officially Home for the Holidays. And I'm so excited, but also a little nervous. It's been a full year since I've been in the USA, and I've gotten more acclimated to Spanish culture than I ever could have possibly imagined. Now so many things that are normal at home seem really bizarre to me. (Yes, I know this sounds like me bragging "oh my god I'm soooooo European.") I'm kind of worried that it's going to be a huge reverse culture shock. I already had some small doses of this when my parents came to visit and when I hung out with one of my best high school friends over here and they talked about things in the US that I had honestly forgotten about.

So I'm wondering if going home is going to be a totally bizarre experience. Will everyone seem crass? Will listening to so much English make my brain explode? Will eating so much greasy food make me want to puke? Will I be able to get used to eating lunch at noon and dinner at six again?

And worst of all, will everyone think I'm snobby because I can't stop telling stories about my glamorous life in Europe?

Is my now-perfect Spanish tortilla a subconscious representation of my rejection of my home culture? (Hello, English major who liked reading Freud a little too much)

I guess the plan is to keep on keeping on for now with my acquired Spanish attitude. "No pasa nada, no te procupes." (It's nothing, don't worry.) No matter what, I'll be beyond excited to see my family and friends and vice versa, which is all that really matters. Well, that and Christmas cookies. 

Happy Holidays, everyone!