this city is so beautiful and magical lit up. there are lights scattered everywhere throughout the city and there is a huge pillar of multicolored lights right outside of the gate to my apartment. the christmas market, which will have its own post soon, takes on a life of its own at night with random disco balls and christmas music (in english!) blasting. but the pièce de résistance is the ferris and tree grove in the center of town. i never get tired of taking pictures of it so i hope you don’t get tired of looking at it. it surely is a sight to behold and i’ll be so sad when it leaves after the holidays.
nice at Christmas is so lovely. all the shops decorate and the fancy streets put up mini trees with red felt ornaments and there are lights everywhere! in the center of town, there is a Christmas village with ice skating and a ferris wheel and little booths selling sweets and overpriced presents. being here is such a change from being in New Zealand last year because kiwis are sadly not the biggest fans of Christmas or decorating so I’m getting my double fill this year. sometimes, when I have time to kill, I’ll walk around to window shop and take in all the creative ways the city decorates for noel. there is a massive Christmas ornament in place garabaldi, pillars of brightly colored lights on the side streets, a Christmas tree grove in front of one of the state buildings and giant light-up presents suspended above the main street. it’s all a sight to see and it makes me wish Christmas was year around
my computer is finally fixed! actually apple gave me a new computer but that’s a whole different story… but now i’m back and have tons to post about! i know the holidays have come and gone but here are some snapshots of my favorite time of the year
christmas eve
of every day of the year, christmas eve is always the one i look forward to most but this one beat all others. besides scurrying like a crazy person trying to get my semifreddo done in time to put in the freezer, it was a fun and delicious christmas eve. we went to five crowns, my favorite holiday tradition and enjoyed the good food and holiday cheer. there are carolers that come round to every table and its just not christmas eve without hearing them sing ‘the holly and the ivy’. afterwards, we went back to our house for a little dessert get together. it was a truly wonderful and magical night
christmas day
christmas day around here is alot more chill and casual than christmas eve. we usually gather at my grandmas and have mexican food and open the remaining presents. i made a quinoa mexican salad which was a nice alternative to the usual heavy, meat filled mexican dishes and a ricotta blood orange cheesecake which i plan to make again in the near future.
since i’ve been back from new zealand, life has been quite the wild ride! this week has been a whirl of christmas shopping, meeting up with friends, hot yoga, christmas parties and fun times, as well as not so fun times like my computer breaking and having to make nerve-wracking decisions about my future. despite the insanity, this may have been one of the best weeks of my life! i cant help but to smile when i look back at my instagrams since i’ve been home. christmas has long been my favorite time of year but the older i get, the more i appreciate it for what i can give and my time with loved ones instead of what i get (i literally don’t even have a christmas list this year!). but ultimately, i love that this is a time of year to meditate on Jesus’ birth and love for us. that’s what makes christmas most meaningful to me. while it’s great to be away, there is nothing like coming home to friends and family after being abroad. little things like hanging with my mom, movie nights and coffee with friends, playing with my dog and sleeping in my own bed seem so much more special. i’m so blessed to have two places full of people and things i love.
*ps: as mentioned above, my computer broke right when i got home. its getting fixed right now but all the posts i planned for this week are pushed back till i’m reunited with my computer. i still have pics from my last few weeks in new zealand to post, as well as some posts of my adventures from this week but this iphone post will have to suffice till then.