Feliz Navidad

It’s definitely strange spending Christmas in another country. First of all it was hot and sunny and that really threw me off. Of course I am not with my family and I am eating different foods. Also in Nicaragua they celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December so that’s different as well. But at the end of the day Christmas is about spending time with people that you care about. I did that this Christmas. Before Christmas, I got together with a bunch of my Peace Corps friends and we had a little party to celebrate Christmas and one of the volunteers birthday. We made pasta and salad for dinner. Later on we made popcorn on the stove and played games and talked. It was really good. It was really fun to get together with friends during the holidays because it makes it feel a little like home. We were all saying that it is so cool that we have made such good friends from Peace Corps and that we will be friends for a long time.

For Christmas I went to my old host families house in San Juan de Oriente. My new host family was sad that I wasn’t with them for Christmas but the understood that I promised my old family before I met them. So when I got to my old training town, my family was happy to see me and wanted to know how I like my new town. I was worried it was going to be strange to be back since I don’t live there but I felt comfortable right away. Megan, who was also in my training town was back for Christmas as well so we walked around San Juan and said hi to our old friends. Everyone I have met in San Juan is so nice and friendly and welcoming. So in Nicaragua it’s tradition that you have Christmas dinner around midnight on the 24th. So you have to wait the entire day to eat. My family ate around 11 and by that time I was starving. We had a big dinner just like at home, there were about 15 people at the table and we had chicken, and beef and salad and rice of course haha. It was really good. I really felt like part of the family. Then at midnight we all hugged and said Merry Christmas, and then the fireworks started. They celebrate Christmas the way we celebrate new years. There was champagne and wine and fireworks and some dancing lol. It was interesting. Then I gave my family their gift, which was a framed picture of the whole family that I took. I think they really liked it. I was so exhausted by 1 am so I went to bed.

Then on the 25th, I was feeling a little sick, I think it was because I ate close to midnight and then went to bed soon after. I felt better later in the day. My host mom was really worried about me because I didn’t want to eat the whole day haha. I also got to skype with my mom and sister and pearly in the afternoon. I also called some of my other family members to say Merry Christmas. That made me feel really connected as well. I so thankful for technology! Megan and Sam (another volunteer) and I watched a Christmas Story at her house to get into the Christmas spirit. It was really fun. Overall I had a good Christmas and I am looking forward to new years. I am going to spend new years with my new family so that should be fun. Ok well hasta pronto ☺


Pictures
The Christmas tree and all the rocking chairs
The table with the coke-a-cola center piece haha
My host mom, her husbasnd, Alejandra and Isaura.
Alfredo and Tito being silly and dancing
The adults had wine and were toasting so the kids decided to toast with the coke
The candle on the table