I'll be home for Christmas

Arrived home last night around 11:00! Whole family waiting at the airport, and I can't lie, I teared up a bit upon seeing them. I couldn't be happier to be back in the coziness of my house and smack dab in the middle of my family's everyday routine. Woke up at five thirty this morning because of jet lag, and was pleasantly surprised to see both of my brothers up. Had a 6:00 catch up sesh with them before Liam went off to take a midterm at 8 this morning. He got into college early decision, so even though the results of this don't matter, he still didn't sleep so he could study. That's dedication. Dante, coming off finals week at Vanderbilt, didn't sleep last night period because he slept for a full 16 hours upon his return home and now can't sleep at all. Glad to know we're all going to be off in our sleeping schedules this week.

This past weekend Russell and I spent exploring the little town of Oxford. It is beautiful at Christmastime, and is a city rich with history and tradition. Our hosts, family friends the Rothwells, could not have been more welcoming and generous, providing us with copious amounts of delicious food, showing us around the town and the colleges with which they had associations, and providing us with an ad interim family with whom to spend the pre-holiday season. We enjoyed ourselves SO MUCH in Oxford. Russell coming off stressful finals in Spain and me coming off of 5 weeks of living out of a suitcase, switching cities every other day, whirlwind sightseeing, we were both exhausted. Oxford providing us with the perfect restful weekend to enjoy our last few days of our study abroad experience. 

The University of Oxford is so different from any university I have ever come in contact with. The Oxford system seems like one of the most unique and inspiring ways to learn. There are 38 colleges within the university, and you apply to one of these instead of the university itself. The "classes" are tutorials, with one or two students and a professor, with whom you meet once or twice a week. Its very reading and writing intensive, but the students are only in school for 24 weeks a year, less than half the year! 

We spent so much time wandering through colleges, looking at the gargoyles, sitting in pubs enjoying local beer and food, and looking at some of the most unique museum exhibits I've ever seen. I don't have pictures because of my lack of camera, but when I steal Russell's from his iphone I'll definitely do a longer post on Oxford. It was definitely one of my favorite stops on my 5 week long adventure. 

As for now, I'm so happy spending time with my family, catching up on sleep, lounging on the couch for the first time in a long time, listening to christmas carols, drinking peppermint hot chocolate, wrapping the overwhelming amount of christmas presents I brought home for the family from abroad, and enjoying being back on American soil.

I've been all around the world, literally, in the past 5 months (well, two continents) and I've loved every place I've been. But there is no place in the world like Boston, Massachusetts and home sweet home. I've never been so happy to be home.