Laura-Jane Adventures

Experiencing Christmas in the United States with my host family was extremely different from what I am used to. Typically, my family keep Christmas relatively small with just my mum, dad, sister and my grandparents and we only celebrate on Christmas day. In addition we are not religious so do not attend church or pray around this time. Therefore, Christmas 2018 was a chance for me to take part in traditions I normally would not otherwise.

The celebrations started on December the 23rd with a big family and friend gathering at my host dads relatives house. Their property is beautiful and the family raise deer which was amazing to see so many in one area, unfortunately they are not raised for the right reasons but that’s a story for another time! The day involved a lot of eating and talking. It is always great to talk to new people and because I am from a different country it is very rare for that not to be the conversation starter. Towards the end of the evening the family gathered everyone round the Christmas tree to light a candle and think about what we were grateful for. I offered to read the Christmas story from the bible because I wanted to contribute to the day. Even though I do not believe in God it was very heart warming to see everyone come together and believe in something.

When we returned home that night I sat with my host family and we exchanged gifts. I am already extremely grateful for all they have done for me so I tried to convince them not to get me anything for Christmas but they insisted. Of course they did not want me feeling left out and are always thoughtful. The gifts I received were perfect, although what mattered most to me was simply getting to spend time with them.

The next morning was the Hall’s Christmas which was at my host dads parents house. We spent the day in our PJs, enjoying each others company and of course indulging. I finally got to try the families famous cinnamon rolls, which I helped make, they were a bit too sweet for me but I was glad to try them. The family also have a tradition of hiding money on the Christmas tree and they very kindly added an extra one for me, which was above and beyond what I had already received.

For the third and final Christmas we travelled to South Bend for the Laurent Christmas. This was Christmas day and was honestly a day I had been dreading because I missed my family and was aware of how much they were missing me. Overall it was no where near as difficult as I thought it was going to be. The day started by attending mass, which was a first for me as I had never been to a Christmas day service. Then we came back to the house to enjoy Christmas dinner and presents. I got the chance to facetime with my family and my close friend Callan which made me smile from ear to ear. Whilst the family opened their presents I took time to sit and appreciate how they had welcomed me into their family and took some photos to document the moment.

To conclude, Christmas 2018 was unique and eye-opening. Although, I was mentally and emotionally in a hard place I was exceptionally happy to be part of all the celebrations. Experiencing the festive season in the United States was fantastic and I hope that there will be many more to come in my future.

Lots of love,

Laura Jane x