My last entry I posted some pictures from getting ready for Christmas at home before I left, but in actuality I spent Christmas in Germany. I have celebrated three previous holiday seasons abroad before, but only one of those was with a German family. This time, knowing much better what I would be in for, I was able to really enjoy the five days spent in west Germany with my boyfriend and his very welcoming and wonderful family.
We got up at 3:45am on the 22nd in order to make it to the airport in Berlin for our 7am flight. That was a drag. But we eventually made it to Düsseldorf, and took the train to Aachen, where our hosts were waiting to pick us up. The rest of the day was spent socializing, eating and celebrating missed birthday from the previous couple months.
The next day we had planned to attend the Aachen Christmas Market. The weather the previous day and that morning had been verging on extremely stormy however, so we kept our fingers crossed that the rain and winds would hold off for a few hours. We were lucky with the beginning of our visit, and it only misted while we enjoyed some Aachener Printer (a regional gingerbread speciality) and were able to order our Feuerzangenbowle (mulled wine with rum-soaked sugar cubes set on fire and melted into them) before the down pour really started.
Keep a look out for my next post about German Heilige Abend (Christmas Eve) and a walk in the woods. Hope everyone at home is warm, safe and enjoying the snow!
Until Next Time,
Chelsea
