Krank

I be sick today. I stayed home from school and slept for a long time.

Nevertheless, I would have to say this is the best hospitality I have ever been treated with while I am sick. My host family is a bundle of love.

I starting to feel sick yesterday, I woke up with a terrible sore throat and didn't think it was necessary to tell my host family because I would think it would be the type to go away.. until it didn't. After going on a walk with my host family, and being outside in the cold, i decided to tell them I had a sore throat and didn't feel too good. They gave me some natural medicine stuff, and I made myself some tea. After dinner, when Eduardo went home (he came over after the walk with the host family and stayed for dinner), my host mom made me a foot bath with natural intense and my host sisters gave me a foot message and head message after! I felt like I was in a spa, and it made me feel so loved and peaceful. During Christmas time, there are little things each family member does everyday until Christmas day comes, last night's was Stephanie's turn to read out loud a Christmas story that my other host sister made for school. After she read it, the family and I lounged around and listened to German Opera music and then I went to my room and talked to Jeremy, than slept. For 11 hours.

Today, I woke up and my host mom made me ginger tea and put this re freshener in my room that cleans the air and spells like peppermint. She also asked if I wanted to take a bath tonight because of me being sick. I just cant describe enough how I feel like home away from home here. I already feel so much better, and starting to become healthy again.

Time is flying so fast.

I cannot believe it is almost Christmas. My life here is utter peace. I have nothing to stress about. Besides college applications, but I am almost finished. There is no economy crisis here, there is no depressing news that repeats itself over and over again like back home. There is no school work I have to do, besides german homework and art class of course, and my host family situation couldn't be better. There is no scary gas prices that make me stress out, I take the train and bus to school everyday. On the weekends, I am trusted by my host family and I am free to go out and be back when I feel like to be back. I feel so trusted here, like I did back home.

I am happy to be here for Christmas. In Switzerland. It is a happy time. No huge mall where everyone is buying and buying, just simple Christmas decorations around the house and Events Calendar where you get to eat swiss chocolate and read an activity you can do during the day. Another simple swiss christmas thing is during December is the "Advent" or "waiting" period: four candles are put on a green spruce wreath, where a new candle is lit every Sunday until Christmas Eve. During dinner time, while we sit around, we light the candles and put it in the middle of the table while we eat. During the evenings, my family and I visit our neighbors around Mellingen because Advent Fenster, which is basically where someone in the neighborhood decorates their Window and let the light of the room shine through it, displaying something Christmas-y. While you are there, you socialize with other people in the neighborhood and drink tea or blue wine, and eat lebkuchen and Christmas cookies. Christmas cookies and ginger bread is very popular here, as well as making bread that is the shape of of a man. I made that with my host sister Vanessa and her two friends 2 Fridays ago, and my men turned out the best she said! My host mom said it was beginners luck :). Here are some pictures of me and my host family backing cookies and bread men, called Grittibänzen.

Stretching the dough.

I went to my grandmothers house with my two sisters and we made cookies also. The day was so beautiful, cold but the sun was shining.

An easy walk to Grandma's house, she lives right by us. Look at the blue sky.

looking at recipes. that is Stephanie, the youngest

and on the left is Grossmutti. Grandma!