Boas Festas!

As you may have already read in some of my earlier posts, for the first time ever this year I'm not going home for Christmas. At least, not in the traditional sense. If you consider that we all have multiple homes, home is where the heart is, etc., then sure. I came home to Vigo this year instead of to America. And honestly, though of course I'm missing my family, I'm pretty thrilled about it.

It's probably been pretty obvious to most people that, although France is cool so far, a lot of the time my heart has been aching for Spain. For Galicia. For Vigo. So coming back here, seeing my friends who are more like family, speaking a language I dominate fairly well, eating foodstuffs I'd been craving for months, really feels wonderful. In a sense, it does feel like a homecoming.

So although I know my family back in the States is missing me (and I them), and even though that family is about to get just a little bit bigger (bienvenido a sobrino #7!), I'm not tragically crying my eyes out because I can't be there. Especially because I'm obviously very familiar with American Christmas traditions; cookies and eggnog and Santa Claus, etc. However, this year I finally get to learn about Spanish Christmas, eat shrimp and turrón and talk about the Reyes Magos (3 Wise Men)...who actually are coming on the same day I leave back to France, but I'm going to talk about them anyway, because I'm curious.

So I'm excited to learn, to try new things, and to be in a place I feel like I belong, even if it isn't where I originally came from.

Boas festas to you and yours,

with love from Alisabroad