A bit of backtracking: I've been home for almost two weeks now. Leaving Cuenca was really, really hard. I was okay until I got out of the car at Amauta and saw my friend Paul hugging his host mom and just bawling. Then I lost it too. The bus ride to Guayaquil was very long and rather subdued, but by dinner time we were all in better spirits because we were just excited to get home. Saturday's flights were fine, apart from a couple of people in our group being shouted at by TSA personnel for wearing Che Guevara T-shirts in the Miami airport. We spent the night in Chicago, and though our plane was a bit delayed, I still managed to make it to my sister's Nutcracker performance Sunday afternoon in Upper Arlington, and it was fabulous as always.
Since then, I've just been getting ready for Christmas. All my presents are now wrapped and under the tree, the house is all decorated, and I've made a ton of puppy chow both for my family here and to send to my family in Ecuador. I've cleaned my room and hung out with my parents, and I've gotten to see a lot of friends. I saw a good portion of my dance studio family at the Nutcracker, and I got to see everyone at church on Sunday. The other night a bunch "the old crowd," my friends from high school who are still like my brothers and sisters, came over to my house. We watched A Muppet Christmas Carol and Beauty and the Beast, which are the sort of sophisticated, grown-up movies we like to watch when we get together. I also got to meet Caleb, my friend Megan's two-month-old son. He is just adorable, and Mego is a fantastic mother, just like I knew she'd be.
Now it's Christmas Eve, and I have to start getting ready for church before too long. The two Christmas Eve services are one of my absolute favorite things about the whole holiday. The early one is the family service, with all the music and scripture readings provided by the kids, and while it's a little chaotic, I love it. I've already seen the bulletin for the later service, and the title of Pastor Phil's meditation (basically a really short sermon) is "Star Trek: The First Journey." My immediate thought was something like, "Star trekkin' across Galilee / On these stinky camels to find the newborn King." It should be pretty epic, because Pastor Phil is just awesome like that.
I wish you all a joyful and merry Christmas with lots of fun and food and family. Amid all the wrapping paper and tinsel and pecan pies, don't forget why we're celebrating: the birth of our Savior in a tiny stable thousands of years ago. As Linus said, "That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown!" And now I leave you with more words of wisdom from another of my favorite characters, Kermit:
"There's somethin' in the wind today that's good for everyone
Yes, faith is in our hearts today, we're shinin' like the sun
And everyone can feel it, the feelin's runnin' deep
After all, there's only one more sleep till Christmas
After all, there's only one more sleep till Christmas Day!"
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