Christmas has come and gone in Paris and all of us expatriots joined together and tried to make it the best Christmas that we could. It was definitely hard to be away from my family for the first time on my favorite holiday, but the new family I have found here made it one of the most unforgettable Christmas' ever.
We started out the night of Christmas Eve at Jovanni and Kirstie's apartment (of course) with a big feast where everyone pitched in and brought something. We ate and ate until we all felt like DYING. Then, it was time for dessert (naturally), which consisted of macaroons and various other little Bouchees.
It was surprisingly warm, so we decided to walk to the Seine and enjoy some wine like we used to do way back in the beginning of this whole adventure. We chose a spot on the Seine that was right under Notre Dame, so when it drew close to midnight, we walked up to enjoy midnight mass.
When midnight struck, all of the bells of Notre Dame struck and the choir voices resonated from the cathedral. It was truly a stunning, religious experience that actually brought tears to my eyes. We watched all of the cardinals walk by and into the cathedral for mass. I am so thankful and amazed that I got to experience this breathtaking event.
We walked back to Jovanni and Kirstie's and quickly fell into food comas and slept through the night. I am so grateful that I got to cuddle with Jovanni all night, because I have never woken up on Christmas day by myself before, and was really afraid that I was going to have to.
In the morning, it was just Jovanni, Danielle, Amanda and I. By the grace of God we were able to find bagels and REAL cream cheese the day before, so we enjoyed a delicious, almost American breakfast. We proceeded to snuggle in bed all morning and watch Home Alone.
Around 2 pm, Jared popped by Jovanni's. I finally decided to crawl out of the warm cocoon that is Jovanni's bed, and went to coffee down the street with Jared. We went to a beautiful cafe by the name of les Editeurs. I got a chocolat chaud and Jared got an espresso. It was a lovely, relaxing time. We then returned to Jov's where we snuggled some more and then returned to our own homes. I tidied up my apartment a bit and managed to Skype my parents and sister and then later Skyped my beautiful cousins!! Once my apartment was nice and clean and my heart was full of family love, Jared came over and we made Christmas dinner together (aka French Toast. Breakfast for supper!!).
The past two weeks have been rough (to say the least) and I can honestly say that I was dreading Christmas with every fiber of my being. I just wanted to get it over with and to not think about it again. But it was so much better than I could have ever imagined and that is all thanks to the incredible people who have entered my life in the past 4 months. Amanda, Betsy, Jovanni, Jared, Kirstie, Efren, Danielle, Talia, Mikayla, Bree, Kimberly: You have all seen me at my lowest of lows and have been there for me 100%. I have had a hole in my heart and you have all done your best to fill it with love and make sure that it never drains completely. THAT is what true love is. When the winds change and times get tough, you don't just abandon ship. You might have to adjust the sails and work a bit harder, but you never just give up. So to all of my study abroad family, thank you.
I love you so much.
No comments:
Post a Comment