I'll (Not) Be Home for Christmas

Hey everyone! I hope all of you are having a great week and are having a great Christmas season!

My classmates and I had our Christmas gathering on Friday night, which consisted of meeting up at the pub so conveniently located on campus. The drinks were £1 each, and we definitely took advantage of that fact, being the poor students we all are. I think if you would have cut me, I would have bled gin and tonic.
After a short travel-break, we all met up at this frustratingly classy pub near the city center and sat around chatting and trying really hard not to fall into the habit of counselling each other. I learned that my Italian classmate, Pier Paolo, can belly dance, and was treated to a demonstration of this hidden talent about 4 gin and tonics into the evening. Amazing. Chris came along and got the chance to meet the people I spend several hours a day with, which was very nice. It was nice to spend time with everyone off-campus and dressed up!

Last night, Chris and I made chicken noodle soup and cupcakes and brought it all on the subway over to Dave and Rosie's flat and had a big dinner with them. We played 'Topple Blocks', which is a total rip-off of Jenga, and then began a long and arduous game of Monopoly that didn't wrap up until about 3 AM, all while enjoying some mulled wine that Dave whipped up. Very nice.

I'm back to my counselling at Central College tomorrow! I find myself looking forward to it in the way I used to look forward to going in to work at the hospital--I never really know what to expect, but I feel excited to go see what happens. I'm taking that as a good sign. My external supervisor (the one not associated with my school) thinks I'm doing a great job too, so I'm feeling very positive about this whole thing, very positive indeed.

This Friday, I'm DJing at the Bier Stube again, this time with my friend from school. He and I are going to tag-team it, and are performing under the name Clap Your Hands, Say Meh... (a play on Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah!, which is a band, and no, Mom, you've probably never heard of them, and that's OK). I'm excited again, and this time will be especially fun! Wish you all could make it!

Some of you have asked if I'll be staying for the second year to finish my Master's here. The answer to that question, as of this moment, is 'maybe'. The ultimate decision will be made when I get a better sense of what's happening here outside of the course, if I can get the visa extension I would need, and if I can financially swing it. I have about 24,000 things to consider before making that decision, many of them personal, but I should have a final decision in a few months.

Anyway, I miss you all a lot, especially at this time of year. It's been hard to be away from the people I love for the past 3 months. I think about my friends and family all the time and really miss just being able to call you up or meet up with you whenever. Know that you've got someone 4,500 miles away (me!) who is thinking about you fondly.

That's it for me. Have a nice week!
xo