A Very Merry Christmas!

Four more school days before Winter Break and I couldn't be more excited! My Winter Break starts on December, 23rd and I am looking forward to spend Christmas in the U.S. 

Even though we also celebrate Christmas in Brazil, it is pretty different from the one that we celebrate here, I feel like here is more intense.

At my host family house, we have an Elf in the Shelf called Alvin, -as I could understand, almost every house has an elf here-, so each night he hides somewhere and in the next morning we need to try to find him... once he was inside a mug full of marshmallow and other time he messed all our stockings. If you see one, please don't touch him, if you do, he may lose his magic powers…

My house is already all decorated for Christmas and I am almost done with Christmas shop, I know that many exchange students struggle with this, but I didn't... my host family has the tradition to write Christmas Lists, so it wasn't hard to find presents for them.

When people say that this Holiday season is the hardest time to be abroad, yeah, they are telling you the truth… While I am coming to school and learning about how the Artic has been exploited, all my friends are going out and spending fun time together back in Brazil because they are in Summer Break, it is kind of hard but when I came I already knew that it would happen and I always try to think that I am living the life of my dreams, and that makes me stronger.

Some days ago, other exchange students and I went to our local coordinator's house and we had an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party, how you are probably wondering, we wore Ugly Christmas Sweater and had tons of fun! we also had to bring a White Elephant Gift to be exchanged between us and we sang Christmas song, knocking door by door in the neighborhood asking for food can that would be donated for the Homeless.

Happy Holidays and enjoy your Winter Break!

Julia