Christmas with My Best Friend!

I finally saw her!!!  Victoria and I were together for Christmas after four months apart and it was absolutely wonderful to be together!  When I first saw her I felt like I was in a movie.  I was standing inside and I saw her get off the train and walk down the platform, waiting for her to catch sight of me.  We were beyond happy to see each other, but at the same time it was just so normal and so right that it didn't feel that exceptional.

I love that I can now picture where Victoria lives and that I know the people who are a constant part of her life.  I was also able to help, tag along or look in on some of the work they did while I was there.  I felt so welcomed by all of her roommates.  I can't lie that it was very hard to have to share Victoria with work and friends, but it was still just so wonderful to see her that I can easily overlook all of that.  And now she is coming to see me in less than two weeks!  What better way to part!

Christmas Eve was so strange in that it didn't feel like any special day.  Now, I know that I am in my twenties, but that doesn't mean that I don't get just as excited as a little kid for Christmas and the days leading up to it.  I think it started in Italy; the lack of Christmas excitement.  We are so used to everything centering around Christmas during December back in the United States.  Number one, it is different when you don't go home because family is such a huge part of the Christmas season.  Number two, it is different when you don't get out of school until December 22 and spend December 23 traveling.  I expected the focus to be so much more on Jesus' birth since we wouldn't be so distracted by the consumerism we see in the U.S. but instead Christmas almost came and went so fast that I feel like I almost missed every part of it.

The Christmas morning look. What? Is that me drinking coffee?!

We had a great Christmas morning though ...despite the lack of hype I am used to.  We made breakfast with Victoria's roommates and friends (gingerbread pancakes, cinnamon rolls, fresh squeezed orange juice, coffee, eggs...) and spent the morning opening stockings and exchanging gifts.  We also tried to do incorporate everyone's normal Christmas traditions and in doing so, I think I found one to bring home.  "Sharing" was a tradition of someone's that I think I would like to take home.  Everyone has to come up with something to share and it doesn't matter what it is.  Someone played guitar and sang a song, someone showed a comedy video, another showed a youtube video, and another read a story.  It was a great way to get a laugh or just enjoy something other than only opening gifts together.

Şirince, an old Greek town.

After a few days Victoria had a day off work and we were finally able to have some time for just us!  It was strange, but we both felt like it took a little bit of time to get back into the swing of just being us.  I think sometimes we get so caught up in the idea of how much we did or are missing each other that we forget that we are together and don't have to think about that for a while.  Anyway, we went to Şirince for the day and stopped by Ephesus on our way out.  The town was quiet and away from the hustle and bustle of city life that both of us have been caught up in since we have gone abroad.  In fact, it was so quiet and empty that Victoria said it was a little eerie compared to the last time she was there.

Nothing to exotic here.  Coffee and cheesecake.

I tried quite a few different types of Turkish food while I was visiting and Victoria was surprised by how much I liked.  Actually...come to think of it...I don't think there was really anything that I disliked, but "House Food" was my least favorite (a type of meal where you choose 4-5 different small dishes).  Believe it or not, I am starting to like tea a little bit more too...chai is served constantly there!

We were able to do some of our normal sisterly things together too.  We went to cute cafes, watched movies together, had a few long conversations, cuddled a lot, cried over both significant and insignificant things, ate lots of junk food and squished into a small bed together for that time of just "being" and not having to talk that we miss so much.