Good morning, everyone! Today is a beautiful wintry day in Heidelberg, Germany, and I woke up to the wonderful surprise of a snowy day! Nothing makes me more nostalgic and excited than jumping out of my warm, cozy bed and looking out the window onto a snowy scene. It reminds me of when I was a kid and I flushed ice cubes down the toilet or did a snow dance, hoping the next morning I would peer out my window and see a winter wonderland.
For those who know me well, and now all of you reading my blog, you all know how much I love snow. Whenever it snows in Denver, I am always out in the middle of the blizzard making snow angels or practicing my snowball-making techniques. Snow has always reminded me of fun and it could not have come on a better day. Today, my study abroad program is hosting a farewell/Christmas party for us. Almost everyone is done with their terms abroad and will be going back to their home universities. As for me, I am just going home for 2 weeks for the holiday break, and then I will be back and at it here in Heidelberg at the beginning of January.
I truly cannot believe how quickly time has flown. I remember thinking at the beginning of this journey that the days were long and slow, yet here I am, 5 months in and I feel as if it is slipping away from me. On days like today, I am even more grateful than usual that I still have 7 months of growth, adventure, and travel here in Europe. I do not have any more trips planned before the new year because I do go home on Friday (just 5 more days till I get to see my family!!), but I am hoping to do some fun trips in the new year. I am planning an Ireland trip that my mom might be joining me on, I am hoping to get up to Hamburg to see my old friend James (James, if you’re reading this, sorry I am such a slacker), and I would love to get to Berlin soon. There have also been talks of Budapest with another Full-Year student here, but those plans need to be ironed out more.
All of that is still quite a ways away, though. For now, I am just trying to finish studying for my economics exam on Wednesday and get through my last few days of class before my flight at the end of the week. Clearly the studying is not going well because I am writing this blog as a form of procrastination, but I digress. Once I get home, my mom and I are going to be baking Christmas cookies to combat jet-lag and there are a few other holiday activities built in. My two best friends from high school will also be home (Hi, Char and Meg!), so I cannot wait to see them for a bit and catch up on everyone’s latest adventures. I also might get to see one of my best friends from college if she can swing coming to visit for New Years, so it will be a fun break all around. I am very excited for my church’s Christmas Eve service, which is always my favorite service of the year due to the candlelight “Joy to the World” rendition.
Again, I just have to reiterate how amazing it is that it will be Christmas in just a few days and that another year has come to a close. I am so grateful for how much I have learned and grown, and for all of the blessings I have back home and with friends. I hope that everyone enjoys this beautiful day, whether you have sun or snow, and I am wishing everyone a very happy holidays.
With love always,
Meghan
Travels in Germany 