Exchange Elective: christmas time

The weeks leading up until Christmas seemed to drag on forever! Although I was having an amazing time and enjoying every minute, I was definitely ready to go home and see my family and have homecooked food and a comfortable bed. We tried to make the most of the few weeks we had before leaving but Christmas in Barcelona just dint feel the same. For a start it was warm and they just don’t seem to go all out in the same way we do in the uk. We managed to find mulled wine in a small Christmas market which definitely helped us to get more in the mood. In a way it was quite refreshing as I feel they capture much more the real meaning of Christmas as a time for family, rather than then commercial event it seems to be at home. It was interesting to see how Christmas is celebrated in another culture as they have different dates throughout December which are of importance and unlike England the religious side of Christmas is still the most important part which is something we have definitely lost.

my yummy mulled wine

The flight home could not have taken any longer. I felt like I would never get there but when I touched down at London Heathrow and walked through the arrivals gate and saw my mum and dad standing waiting for me I couldn’t have been more happy to be home. Christmas for me is a time for family and so it had finally started! It was a crazy few days before Christmas trying to cram in seeing everyone and catching up and trying to enjoy as many mince pies and mulled wine as I could! Definitely been missing out on that! And then once Christmas was over and done with I headed straight to Austria with the whole of my mums side of the family so ski and celebrate the new year together. Was an amazing week with perfect snow and a nice opportunity for us to all get together and enjoy each others company. The week quickly few by and I was back in London to enjoy my last few days before returning to Barcelona. Although I wasn’t really home for long, it was nice to enjoy the comforts it brings and to spent time with the people I love. But I was surprisingly excited to head back to Barcelona. In a way it felt weird being away for so long and part of me felt like I was heading home when I got back. Im sad I only have a few short weeks back here but im going to enjoy every minute and make the most of this amazing experience.