It's Almost Time for Christmas!!

This past weekend we had our Rotary Christmas Dinner and Party. It really didn't work out how we planned. We at first wanted to meet up in the morning, and then shop and cook all day. Instead, I met up with Garrett(another exchange student from Michigan) and then went to the party at about 6. The party was just outside of Potsdam, which is the capital of another German state, and a city right next to Berlin. We met up with a few other exchange students at the Station and then went back to one of their houses and drank some tea and ate cheesecake.

Her family ended up making the dinner for us too, which we didn't plan on having them do, but it's really hard to organize something like this. It was a typical German meal, which is always good! There were only 10 or so of us there at the time, but people kept coming in one by one, so we didnt really have the room to sit down for dinner that we had hoped for either. But by time the party part began, everyone was there! We had the party in the second house, and we hung out there all night, and most of us actually spent the night! So it was redicously crowed for that many people! But it was an amazing time!!

We left about 9, and I wasn't home until 11:30 because the trains were so slow with all of the snow. But when I got home all I did was basically say hello, and then go back to bed. Then later that day I went to a Christmas Festival with my host mom and one of my host sisters. This time it consisted of only eating because Christmas German food is different from normal German food! German food is a lot better than American food! I didn't want to admit it, but it's going to suck going back to the U.S. with no Döner, Schnitzel and all the other amazing German foods!!

Anyway, after the Christmas Markets we met up with some people and went to a theater. We watched a very funny play with NO language! I was so happy for that! I finally was able to understand as well as the Germans!! It was a group that just wore masks and used only body expressions. It can come off as sounding very dumb, but it was very funny!!

It ended at 10, and we were in the middle of the city, so we got back later than 11! But going back was one of the funnest parts of the evening!! Its normally about a 5 minute walk from the tram station, but it turned into about 20 or 25 minutes because it was just snowball fights the whole time!! It was so much fun!! And I love it even more because I feel so welcome by my new family, and community! They all really make me feel like I'm a part of their family!

Even though I really love it, Christmas is still going to suck! There is so much snow, but it still doesn't feel like Christmas! I miss having a tree already up, and all the christmas lights in the U.S.! Mostly I really miss my family. But this Christmas will be nothing like the others. There is going to be 6 total siblings over, and then 2 sets of Grandparents, and then 3 Australians(which means English!) It'll be the biggest and longest Christmas ever, because christmas here begins on the 24th and ends on the 26th!!

But what I'm mostly excited for is New Years! Apparently the U.S. doesn't know how to celebrate New Years. Here, New Years is as big as 4th of July, or even bigger! I'm going to go to the Brandenburg Gates and stand out of in the cold from 9 at night until about 2 in the morning, celebrating the New Year!! And also, on New Years, there are 3 more Brazilians coming to stay with us. One is the old exchange student with my family, and the others are here parents. So I'll be celebrating the holidays with people from all over the world!

But after the holidays, I'm pretty sure that I am officially switching schools. I've already talked to my host parents about it, and I'm pretty sure it's the best option. So for the next 2 days of this week, will be the last at Anna-Seghers. I'm really upset about leaving my school, especially because I enjoy the people so much, but at the same time I am ready to experience this new school. Lately, I'm just always ready for something new. I'm nervous that I won't like it, or that the new people won't be as welcoming, but at least I know that I've made good enough friends here already, that they'll be there for me if it doesn't work out. But I hope that it does!