The end of the first semester

Hey everybody

Long time, no see (to those back home in Denmark), I have now been here for 4 months. Yesterday I finished the first semester. It has been a good semester with a lot of good memories that will never be forgotten. 

A week and a half ago we were all on thanksgiving break, I went with Alex and Cassidy to Fort Lauderdale. My break wasn't just like any other break I usually have in the fall, where I go somewhere warm (Crete), since there wasn't a lot of tanning and lying on the beach. Instead I was brought to two family birthday parties, a gathering with family-friends that was based on an old TV show holiday, one thanksgiving dinner, some black friday shopping and a night out at a cowboy saloon. I was living the whole week with Alex and I was therefore also introduced to her whole family, more or less. I did though also get a day at the beach

One of the birthday parties was Alex's little sister, Rylee's, birthday party. Unlike any of mine birthday parties, this party was held at a gymnastics gym. This gave me the chance to show everyone the gymnastic skills I don't own, but there was a lot of jumping into a foam pit. Another talent I don't possess is Linedancing, since it is quite difficult to catch the basic step when you are just thrown into it a bar (Yeah I'm talking about my trip to cowboy saloon). 

I also got to celebrate my first thanksgiving, because, no, we don't have thanksgiving in Denmark it's a true American holiday ;). Alex's dad made a delicious turkey, so the food was amazing, just as I hoped it would be. I don't know what I exactly expected from thanksgiving, but for some reason i thought that it would remind me more of danish christmas eve; you know, with all these traditional things during that you do with your family during the evening. I'm not saying it was a bad day, I just thought it was a bit difference, since it seems like everyone makes such a big deal out of it. 

Black friday shopping was one big tourist trap in Sawgrass Mills, never have I ever felt so claustrophobic and irritated because of all of those people. The whole mall was filled with tourists that came to do black friday shopping, and they all had at least one suitcase, which just made them in the way more. It might be me lacking the talent of finding all the good sales, but I didn't seem to find some amazing sales, where you get a whole bunch of stuff for nothing. I did get a pair of Nike running tights and a shirt to go with it. 

Since thanksgiving I have spend my time finishing up all of my classes this meant a couple of last minutes tests in some of my courses before finals and then of course also taking all my finals. To survive the finals and christmas without my lovely family, my mom send me a 'pakkekalender' (I'm not quite sure what you call it in english, but it's a calendar where there is a little present for everyday until christmas). So that has giving me a little of Danish into my American christmas. 

Now I'm sitting in my room finishing packing up my stuff before cleaning tomorrow and checking out. Realising that the first part of my adventure is over and how fast time has gone by. We are leaving for a last mini-roadtrip with Willem and José tomorrow. We are all heading for Columbus and Atlanta Georgia, where we are saying goodbye in the airport. Then Cristina and I will head back to Dothan to begin our christmas with her family. 

I'm really looking forward to see how this christmas is gonna be. I have a feeling that your first christmas without your family is a special and weird experience, maybe a bit sad too, so it is gonna be interesting. I am most definitely gonna miss my family and skiing, still not quite sure that it is gonna feel like christmas without them. But I can tell you all about that in a month or so.

Until then, please take care!