'Tis the Season

Is it already that time of year again?? Christmas is weeks away and I can hardly believe it.  Finals loom ahead once again, so that can only mean one thing.  My first semester studying abroad in Montpellier is already coming to a close.  Where does the time go?? Honestly, saying the last three months have gone by quickly would be the understatement of the year.  I can't say that every aspect of living abroad has been easy (read: STRIKES), but my experience as a whole has far beyond exceeded any expectations I had.  I know I've probably said it already, but it's still hard to believe I'm actually here.  Even after all this time, I still have to step back and remind myself that I really am living and studying abroad in the south of France.  My year in France is no longer some distant future; it is the here and now.  This rather frequent reality check is important for me, because it's easy to take everything for granted, without fully appreciating all this experience has to offer.  I make this effort to really savor every moment here, because I know that once I return to the U.S., while I will of course miss all the traveling I got to do, I will also miss sitting at dinner with my host family, without a doubt debating on some food-related topic.  Small moments, the ones that seem so insignificant at the time, also always seem to be the ones that stick with us. 

Yesterday, when I probably should have been frantically reviewing for my upcoming lit final on the works of 18th century French philosophers, I helped Michèle decorate the apartment for Christmas instead.  We put up the tree together, hanging the ornaments and stringing the lights.  While there was nowhere near enough room on the small tree to hang all of the ornaments she had, we laughed as she pointed out ones that were absolutely "obligatoire" or necessary that we put up, because they are childhood favorites of her daughters.  Even though her daughters are all grown up and living in Paris, when they come home for Christmas, they absolutely insist on having the "apple" ornament and the "nutcracker" ornament hanging front and center on the tree.  I couldn't help but smile, because it is the same way with me and my sister-there is a certain way the tree has to be decorated with certain, "special" ornaments that hold meaning even if they aren't exactly the prettiest.  Sharing such a cherished tradition with my host mom and knowing that some things just don't change, regardless of other cultural differences, was the perfect way to spend a Sunday and get into the Christmas spirit.

The finished product! We might have gone a little overboard...