Navidades (Christmas Time)

So sorry I have been so bad at keeping up with my blog.  I literally JUST got internet set up in my new apartment (yesterday) so it has been quite difficult to stay in touch with the outside world!  I don't even remember where the last entry left off--however I know that it was a long, long time ago!


School has been going pretty well.  Yesterday was our first day back after the holiday vacation, and it was brutal but also nice getting back into the swing of things.  I went home to surprise my family for Christmas, which was very fun.  I was only there for six days, though, so it was a really quick trip.  And for New Year's Eve I was back in Cáceres with one of my good friends, Sarita!  We had New Year's Eve dinner with my dear friends (a Spanish/American family who lives here in Cáceres and have been absolutely wonderful to me!)  Here in Spain, there is something called Cotillón that most of the young people go to.  Sarita and I went with two of my other friends from Cáceres to a cotillón.  This means that we paid an entry fee to a club/bar for the evening.  We all got really dressed up (similar to prom in the U.S.) and after eating the 12 grapes to every ding of the bell at midnight, we went to the party.  There were between 40 and 50 people there, which made it really nice because normally the bars are insanely crowded.  We partied and danced until about 6:30AM, when they opened the rest of the other bars to the rest of the public.  We stayed out until 9AM!!!  (I give some of the credit to the jetlag and change of time, because otherwise I'm not so sure I would have been able to stay out that late!)

January 6th is Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day) here, and it's the big holiday for the Spaniards.  Most of the people go out to celebrate at night on the 5th, so I went out with my host sisters from when I was here on study abroad.  We had a blast!  We went to one of their friends houses for dinner and then we went to a couple of bars.  It was a really fun night!

Overall, it has been quite a nice holiday vacation.  Things at school are going pretty well. I enjoy the younger kids more than I do the older kids, however they both have their good and bad days.  For next week, I am planning on making American Christmas cookies with them.  I have shown a presentation on my Christmas in Michigan, and all of the kids are very excited about Christmas cookies.  So this weekend, my plan is to bake a whole bunch of the sugar cookies and freeze them until school on Tuesday.  And in class, each student will frost and decorate their own American Christmas cookie. It sounds like a lot of work on my end, however it will be incredibly rewarding.  I just might have to make some extras for safe-keeping! :)


I hope everyone is healthy and happy back home.  I miss you all a lot and can't believe that I am starting my fourth month in Spain for the second time.  Hugs and kisses to all.


XOXO,
Kate