¨Are you enjoying your time at home?¨

It was no surprise this year, I went home for Christmas. After last year´s big surprise visit, I knew I couldn't pull it off again - I´m actually still impressed that last year´s surprise was successful! (Ok, except for surprising my mom. But, I blame my dad for that one!)

I was able to go home for three weeks this Christmas holiday. Three weeks! While the Spaniards thought of it as ¨three weeks in America!!!¨, it was just ¨home¨ to me. I didn't go to any fancy places nor do anything really, really cool. But, it was about the little things for me. You might think I´m crazy for some points of my list, but those who really understand what it´s like living in Spain, or abroad even, will find it more than entertaining - maybe it will hit home for you, too. 

Before I get into the list, my adventure home actually began December 15, when I made a trip back to Salamanca, my second home. Not knowing where I will be next time this year really puts things into perspective - so I want to enjoy every minute. So, with that being said, instead of heading home December 15th, my last day of work for the year (thanks to my school´s gift of one extra week for holiday!) I went to Salamanca to celebrate the new year! That´s right - I celebrated bringing in 2012 about two weeks early. Salamanca is known for throwing the biggest student new year´s party in Spain, and probably the world, since I think it´s one of a kind. Since the students go home over break, they never get to celebrate together. To fix this, they organize ¨Nochevieja Universitaria¨ (Student New Year) to allow everyone to celebrate together.

Just how many students attend? This year, there were 35,000 people inside Salamanca´s Plaza Mayor and 5,000 outside. 42 Buses came from Madrid for the event, 2 buses on the hour every hour came from Valladolid, buses from Portugal and Italy... complete with Santa hats and grape gummies, 40,000 students from all over the world rang in ¨2012¨. Happy December 16th, everyone.

At midnight, the plaza turned red and green!

Friends (from left): Michael (Valladolid), Erica (WC/Theta), Dave (Valladolid), Me, Kate (Salamanca)

On December 31st, instead of counting down from 10, Spain counts down from 12. For good luck, they eat 12 grapes - one with each strike of the 12 bells, 12 seconds to midnight. One of my fellow teachers told me that one year when there was a big grape harvest, the king of Spain decided to give grapes to everybody to eat on New Year's Eve; the tradition lives on today. They also wear red panties and throw a glass of water out the window to symbolize that there will be no tears in the new year. On Nochevieja Universitaria, students don´t eat grapes - they eat gummy bears! This year, a company actually sponsored the event and provided grape shaped and flavored gummies for all attendees: ¨Uvas del fin del año¨. It was fantastic! In true ¨Spain Whitney¨ fashion, I made the most of my night, and returned home at 2pm the next day, after having tapas for breakfast around 10:30am. The end.

Nights like these, spent with friends from Salamanca, Westminster and Valladolid are what make my memories special. It´s not that I was at the big student new year´s party... but, that I was there with friends. This same idea is seen in my list of things about home... getting down to the little things that truly matter.

TOP TEN THINGS I LIKED ABOUT MY HOLIDAY IN MISSOURI

10. High School Basketball 

As a former high school and college basketball player, I have always had a passion for competition. I was able to watch several high school games while I was home.  I'm not sure if it was the feeling of being back in the same gyms I played in when I was younger or not, but I wanted to get out there and play! I kept yelling at the girls, saying "shoot" or "ugh, not that pass!" - but my time has come and gone and high school basketball will have to remain in my memories. But there is something about being in a gym that smells of popcorn... hearing the whistles and squeaky shoes... it brings back the pride, tradition and passion I had for pure competition.

Since it was Christmas break, holiday tournaments were all over town; on any given night, you could watch at least 5 high school games. It's not so easy to watch a high school basketball game in Spain. While I teach at a high school, and you think it would be easy to catch a game... it's literally impossible. Why? Spanish schools don't have sports teams. It's that simple. High school sports that are so important to American high school students (and parents...and the community) have absolutely no relevance here. "Letter jackets" are a novelty you buy for fun/fashion from a popular clothing store, like Blanco, that have a "B" on them because of the store name.

I have had several private lesson students who were basketball players. When I mentioned to them that I would like to come watch a game, they just stared at me. You see, they play on intramural/AAU type teams and you can count on one hand the number of spectators that attend the games. There is no concession stand. There is no entrance fee. How do I know this? I actually went to a game. There were a handful of classmates there to watch their friends, a few parents came to pick their children up at the end of the game... and me. While Marta, my student, was pleased I came, I also felt very out of place - but I was just showing support - something super common in the USA.

Spanish teenagers have no idea what American high school sports are all about. I wish they did; high school could become something more than the place they go from 8:15am - 2:05pm everyday. They could take pride in their school; there are no school colors, no mascot... no sense of tradition or loyalty. To them, high school sports are just another thing they've seen in the movies (like "those cajas (boxes) where you put your books").

I'm happy to say I got to see some really great games while I was back and cheer on my Helias Crusaders. The wins I saw will hold me over until next year's holiday hoops! Thank you, high school holiday basketball tournament for reminding me of heart, competition, and school pride. Go HHS!

High school rivalries pack the gym! Helias vs. Blair Oaks - winner: HELIAS :)

Helias students dressed in Blair Oaks "attire"...
Blair Oaks students dressed in plaid skirts to "make fun" of us.

9. Printers/Scanners
There are so many cool things I find online to use in my classes, but the fact that I don´t have a printer or scanner readily available to use in a moment´s notice is really getting on my nerves. I print some things at school, but feel bad about using up all the paper for my own personal needs. I´d go to an internet cafe like I did last year or in Salamanca, but I´ve yet to see one in Valladolid. So, I tend to stray away from things I can´t copy by hand or do orally with my students.

However, going home was a different story. I was able to scan documents for future jobs and copy cards/books to use in class. It was so easy! I love the feeling of being able to do anything I want - when I want. And. Going home gave me that power.

8. Wal-mart
On a similar note, I love being able to buy everything I need in a one-stop-shop. There is nothing of the sort here in Spain. We have chino shops (similar to a dollar store), candy stores, hardware stores, computer stores, clothing stores, book stores, really big department stores, paper stores, pharmacies, kebabs, fruit stores, bedding, butcher shops, furniture stores.... you name it, there is an individual shop to buy the one item you´re looking for. BUT. There is no Wal-Mart. My dad says, ¨if you can´t find it at Wal-mart, either it doesn't exist or you don´t need it.¨ I´m thinking he´s right... and it takes the hassle out of running all over town, which is what I do in Spain.

Once I went to the big department store here, El Corte Ingles (Literally, The English Court), that even has a grocery section, looking for bedding. And, they told me, ¨No, that is in the other Corte Ingles¨. Seriously? So, across town I went, as it was holiday when I was on the sheet hunt and not a single bedding store was open. Talk about frustration. Wal-mart is open 24-7. You really can´t beat it. Wal-mart, I miss you. 

7. Watching TV
There´s nothing like total relaxation in your favorite chair, kicked back, watching a marathon of House Hunters International. Or, staying up late to watch a movie you've seen 100 times just because it´s on Showtime. (I watched Titanic twice!) And, while I don´t particularly enjoy watching football (American football!) on TV, I was even happy to watch it with my dad, uncle and grandpa on Christmas Eve.

There is comfort in watching your favorite things at the push of a button, and not having to search for it online.

6. Carpet
Ok, so what's the big deal with carpet? Well, every house I've lived in or been in in Spain has either had hardwood floors or tile. While I appreciate the easiness to clean my hard wood floors here in Valladolid (I don't clean it enough!), I don't especially like that it is so cold under my feet. I'm not Spanish - I don't wear house-shoes. 

There is just something about American homes that have carpeting. It's nice in the morning to wake up in your bed, jump out of it (ok, crawl in my case as I am NOT a morning person!) and land on a nice, soft, warm surface. It feels homey to me.

5. Wearing Old Clothes
What do sweatpants, graphic/advertising t-shirts, tennis shoes, sorority/fraternity apparel, and rubber flip-flops have in common? You might think workout gear or comfortably clothes... but the correct answer is "American". All of these clothing items scream "AMERICANOOO". On your next trip to Europe, leave them at home. I can count on one hand the number of times I've worn a graphic t-shirt in public while living abroad... and that's even pushing it. (Irish Rover Beer Pong Championship Winner shirts don't count!)

Spaniards (Europeans in general) wear these types of clothing for working out. Flip-flops would only be seen at the beach or in a city near the beach. Greek life doesn't exist.  Over break, I took full advantage of these Americanizing clothing items - even pulled out old hoodies from high school to root on my old team! I was so happy, but sometimes felt weird when I saw someone I would have liked to look nice for... but, then I realized my clothes was normal to them and only felt strange to me. 

Well, thanks to wonderful sales just days before I left, I stocked up on "European-looking American" items. I even bought some new jeans from one of my favorite Spanish brands - IN COLUMBIA, MO! I was so excited to see MNG by Mango brand clothing in JcPenny's. And the best part? I only paid $35.00!!!! Dollars! What a sale - since my paychecks come in the form of Euros! Thank you, exchange rate!

I love you, Mango!

4. House Parties

While I'm not fond of the cleaning process that happens before and after house parties, I do like the short commute. I also like homemade dips and appetizers... and the company that comes along with all of it. In Spain, people tend to socialize in the streets and bars instead of welcoming people to their houses. I also learned plastic plates and cups are not proper dinnerware when you've cooked a nice meal. The next time you have a Spaniard in your house at a large gathering, slip them a real plate to avoid stares.

Since I miss most holidays while living abroad, we made sure to celebrate them while I was home. Christmas Eve was Christmas themed - prime rib and lots of great tasting salads. Christmas Day was celebrated Easter style - complete with ham, deviled eggs and potato salad! New Year's Eve was the typical New Year's outing - complete with steak and lobster. And, New Year's Day was spent stuffing myself full of turkey and dressing. Thank goodness Christmas and New Year's are just a week apart so we didn't have to do much cleaning in-between house parties! That's right, we had both Easter and Thanksgiving celebrations at our house! It was nice to see friends and family... and not having to drive anywhere to enjoy them! It's almost selfish in a way... but there is so much work that goes into it. Thankfully, my parents and grandparents did most of the preparing - no one would want to eat anything I fixed anyway. ;) 

Thanksgiving leftovers.

3. Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Ok. This is more than just about spinach & artichoke dip. It's about all the foods I was able to enjoy over the break....foods and flavors I haven't been able to find here. And all the lunch dates I went on during my three weeks. Buffalo sauce. Wraps. Sushi. Brickhouse Deli salad. Madison's salad. Thai food. French Toast. Raspberry lemonade. Taco Bell. Hot fudge chocolate shakes. Free Bread and butter. Mexican. Steak. A1 Sauce. Eggs Benedict. Hot chocolate with marshmallow whipped cream. Honey mustard dressing. Ruby Tuesday salad bar. Double stuff Oreos. Free drink refills!

Artichoke Dip at Beks

Endless baskets of bread AND butter

Filet and Lobster

Buffalo chicken wrap!

Crazy Roll!

While Spanish food is good and high quality, it doesn't have any spiciness to it. (Spanish food and Mexican foods are completely different, people. They are two very unique cultures.) I was happy to mix up my flavors a bit. My grandma even took me to the store to buy lots of spice packets to get some new things cooking for me over here this semester!

I made a trip back to Fulton, to Westminster College and to Bek's. I was happy to spend time with two former teammates and good friends, Brittney and Whitney (and baby McKenna due in a few weeks!) We had Bek's famous dip and chipolte chicken sandwiches.... mem.or.ies. YUM. After catching up, in true WestMO fashion, I hit up the WC Men's basketball game with my family.  It was nice to be back at Westminster cheering on the Blue Jays... but it didn't make me miss college basketball...

Brittney, Whitney, Me

Friends and Forgotten Flavors: just another one of my favorites from my break. Looking forward to tearing into the spice packets to help me remember home while I'm at my home away from home.

2. My Car
I have to say, I was a bit disappointed in the radio. I usually love coming home, driving my car and listening to the radio, catching up on all the songs I had no idea existed. But, that wasn't the case this time. Instead, I found myself putting on old CD's I had in my car, reminding me of times gone by.

But, I was SOOOO EXCITED to have my car. (I'm not sure you understand how excited I was!) I had independence again. NO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION!!! No bus schedules to check. No trains. Just me and my car - and we could go anywhere at any time of the day! I was caught driving around parking lots, looking for the closet spot so I "didn't have to walk far" - but then I remembered, it was only a short minute walk vs. the 20 minutes I do on average here.

So, unfortunately I couldn't fit my car in my suitcase - I'm back to using my European car "my legs". Walking in Valladolid is like walking in a cloud, no me gusta. And, it's cold. Burrr
 

1. Family & Friends 

The best part of being home was spending it with my family. Watching a movie, talking, playing board games, eating out, eating leftovers, baking, sitting at home, watching a basketball game... you name it. When my family was involved everything was better. It wasn't all smooth sailing, but it was nice.

Everyone was a phone call or short drive away... no skyping, no expensive calls... and, I had text messaging again! It was just, easy. While I wasn't able to see as many friends as I wanted, due to holiday gatherings, jobs, or miles between us, I was happy to have seen as many as I did! I'm happy people made time to see me and helped me enjoy my favorite things about home. 

Super festive sweater party with Heater!

Christmas Eve Breakfast with high school friends!
Jeremy and Megan, Theresa, JP, Andy, Me

Christmas Eve with my aunt and uncle next to my grandparents' tree.

New Year's Eve with Kasie

Eating our grape gummies at midnight... :)

St. Louis, MO! Baking day with my aunt!

Mrs. Peacock with the candlestick in the billiard room: I won.

Cake pops!!!

My parents and I on my last night in Missouri.

My parents, me and my grandparents saying goodbyes!

Missing my Zoe!

Lunch with Fede, Mary & Jim (not pictured) and Dusty!
What a fun day we had talking about Spain and Jefferson City!

While I was home, I was asked an uncountable number of times, ¨Are you enjoying your time at home?¨ Of course, I gave a blanket answer of, ¨Yes, it's really nice being here,¨ and most people were OK with that. While I wanted to say all of the reasons mentioned above, I also wanted to avoid stares, as I receive enough of those in Spain for being a ¨rubia¨ (blonde!) (Which I am not.) Sometimes it's difficult to talk to people who can't relate to my life/have no interest, especially when it comes to walking on carpet...

However, life style differences aside, I want thank everyone I was able to connect with over my "three weeks in America" - Thank you for welcoming me home!