merry christmas...glasgow style!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

I'll try to sum up what's been going on in my life over the past few weeks since I haven't had time (ok, i just havn't felt like it) to blog. As the christmas season neared, work got busier and busier. With that, i got more tired and more tired, wishing that everyone would just chose to stay home and not come to a cozy cofee shop all day long. But what can ya do? I didn't even try to brave going into town to search for presents this year which was a good choice I think. My sisters and I decieded to just spend our money on a big trip somewhere when i return to the states...whenever that may be. Many of you have been asking when I will return, but to be truthfully honest, I'm not ready to face the fact that I may have to leave after my 6 months is up, which would send me home about the end of April. I've enjoyed my time here MORE than i thought I would. I've made Glasgow my own home away from home and made so many great friends in and outside of my job, it will be a hard place to eventually leave. But I do feel like my journey has just begun. It feels like i've been here alot longer than 2 months, but that's really all it's been. Probally because for so long I've felt settled and at home here that my "adjustment period" only took me a couple weeks.

So let me think of whats been going on with me the last couple weeks.....

The week before christmas my plans got switched around from going up to the Isle of Lewis with kevin and his family, to staying in Glasgow and working over the holidays. Not the happiest change of plans, but I made due. My new friend Erica, a fellow American and north-westerner is living in Glasgow now and even though we'd just met up once before, she was kind enough to invite me over for christmas. I went over there on Christmas eve, with all my presents in tow, ready to spend the night with a few other foreigners. We stayed up late and ate lots of junk food (courtesy of the best cook under the ago of 40 that I know- ERICA!) talked about holiday traditions, and then curled up into bed and fell asleep. Everyone besides Erica slept in till 11 (that never happens in my house on christmas morning so I welcomed it gladly!) and we woke up with yummy coffee and muffins before we started opening all our presents. To my surprise, Erica had stockings laid out for us girls filled with bath bombs, socks, and toothbrushes(her dad's a dentist) Then the girls also bought me lovely presents! Bath products and picture frames! It was the sweetest thing ever! After we had torn open everything under the tree, we started making food and eating food, and making more food and then eating more food. That went on for the rest of the day, until I dragged my full tummy home late christmas night. What I thought would be a sad christmas where i would sit around feeling sorry for myself that i couldn't go home and missing my family terribly (although i do miss them!), my christmas in Glasgow was nothing short of amazing and unforgettable. This christmas was not about the presents, because there were far less this year than years before, but it was about the people around me and adapting to a new way to look at christmas. It's made me appreciate the little things that much more!

The day after Christmas is also a holiday in the UK. It's called Boxing Day, and basically it's just another reason for everyone to stay home from work and everywhere to close up, except for the shops and the coffee shop I work at! Go figure! :P I worked all day, and what looked like a quiet day, the familes and kids came pouring in around lunch time and it didn't stop until I went home at 5:30. Don't these people have left-overs to eat i wondered!? Aren't they too tired and full to leave their homes and come drink coffee and cakes?! I guess not!

All in all, it was a great christmas! Thanks to everyone who sent me presents and cards( especially Whitney who made the best calendar ever- filled with pictures of my family over the last year!) and who surprised me with phone calls on christmas! Those are the best presents ever! I'm looking forward to a few restful days and then gearing up for New Years!! Don't know what I'm doing yet...i have a few options...I'll let you know.