(picture: la buche de Noel: traditional French Christmas cake in the shape of a log, hence the name.)
This year Christmas was very random and anti-climatic. There wasn't any anticipation like usual, besides the Christmas lights in Hagondange and Metz. No listening to Christmas music or buying presents or decorating my apartment. I didn't have the usual Christmas preparation time (between finals at school and the actual day). No Christmas cookies, fiber optic trees, parties or CAKE Town Christmas ornaments. I had my last English class (I played Christmas music and we went through the lyrics. The kids were not impressed.) and suddenly it was December 21st.
All the assistants went home except for Corinne and me. She made the long trek to Hagondange on Christmas Eve. We made dinner and watched movies and drank some wine. We spent Christmas day in our pj’s. We watched lots of random French television and made a traditional Christmas dinner that evening. During dinner Corinne said that this was the most random Christmas she's ever had (small town in France in the most outdated kitchen ever with someone she's only met a few times sans Christmas tree). The same was true for me. This was my first Christmas away from home, my family and our annual traditions.
My family does the exact same thing for Christmas every year—and I love it. Life can get dull and become routine, but the routines provide you comfort and make you smile. I can always count on my dog to be very excited to see me when I come home. I can always count on finding Golden Grahams in my parents' pantry. I can always count on my cousin Andrew to go fishing with me and on my grandma to make me laugh. Without the routine life would be dull, boring and lonely. I really missed Christmas, but if I hadn't, I wouldn't know how important that routine is to me. I also learned to make the best of what you do have. I might have spent Christmas in my pajamas with "The Scooby Doo Movie" dubbed in French, but I had a good day.
All the assistants went home except for Corinne and me. She made the long trek to Hagondange on Christmas Eve. We made dinner and watched movies and drank some wine. We spent Christmas day in our pj’s. We watched lots of random French television and made a traditional Christmas dinner that evening. During dinner Corinne said that this was the most random Christmas she's ever had (small town in France in the most outdated kitchen ever with someone she's only met a few times sans Christmas tree). The same was true for me. This was my first Christmas away from home, my family and our annual traditions.
My family does the exact same thing for Christmas every year—and I love it. Life can get dull and become routine, but the routines provide you comfort and make you smile. I can always count on my dog to be very excited to see me when I come home. I can always count on finding Golden Grahams in my parents' pantry. I can always count on my cousin Andrew to go fishing with me and on my grandma to make me laugh. Without the routine life would be dull, boring and lonely. I really missed Christmas, but if I hadn't, I wouldn't know how important that routine is to me. I also learned to make the best of what you do have. I might have spent Christmas in my pajamas with "The Scooby Doo Movie" dubbed in French, but I had a good day.
