I spent Christmas with a family in Kassel - it was an enjoyable experience, but nothing like being "home for Christmas." It did allow me to think about the "reason for the season" as it were, and I got a somewhat new perspective on the holiday. For that, I am thankful. I am also thankful that I had the opportunity to spend Christmas with a caring family who made me feel welcome. I don't know how I would have reacted to be alone at Christmas. That's something that I don't want to ever have to look forward to.
Something to report about Christmas with the German family - we used real candles on the Christmas tree, and we didn't set up the tree until Christmas Eve. That might not be a deviation from the American norm - i.e. setting up the tree on Christmas Eve - but it was for me. At my house we normally set up the tree at the beginning of Advent and have it up until Epiphany. Instead of having a tree set up during Advent, the German family that I stayed with had an Advent wreath. It was interesting for me to see people who I don't necessarily consider über-"religious" observing the tradition of Advent. I've always identified that more with Church than with personal, family observance.
After Christmas comes New Years, of course, and for that I met Katie Hetrick in London. It was a terrific celebration, something that I'll be able to tell people about for the rest of my life, and it's also a really fantastic thing that the year is a nice, round figure - 2010. It's nice that such an event in my life has a nice number like that. After the celebration, we headed to Salisbury to see Stonehenge, and then the following day to Scotland. Scotland was experiencing the second worst winter in its history since it started to record weather related information, so of course our trip on Loch Ness was canceled. That would be my luck...Then it was to Edinburgh, where we at in the cafe where JK Rowling wrote the first couple books in the Harry Potter series (We sat right beside the table that sat at the last time she was there!). And then we took a train back to London where I spent the day seeing Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. That might not seem like a lot do in one day, but it turned out to be enough to keep me busy all day. The next day we returned to Germany. It felt good to be back in Germany. Katie and I spent a few days in Marburg before she headed off to Paris to catch her flight home. Now the semester has started again, and we - the students - are preparing for final exams in about three to four weeks (It depends on the class.).
Me at Stonehenge - amazing sight
Westminster Abbey
Buckingham Palace
It's hard for me to believe that I've been here 100 days now. In some ways the time seems like it's been dragging on, but in others, it seems like it's whizzed by. In a few weeks, I'll be home for Easter and then it's back to Germany to finish up the year. When I put it into perspective like that, it seems like this time is really flying by. There are a lot of things that I want to do yet, and the time to do them just keeps on ticking away.
If you want to see more pictures, click this link.
