Post-Christmas

Christmas is over. I'm sad. Not because I enjoyed Christmas, but it being over just makes it closer to the end of my Christmas break and the beginning of a new semester. Christmas came by, it was the usual eating with family, opening of gifts, and the Secret Santa gift exchange.

I've decided that I no longer enjoy Christmas. Haha I mean, nothing's wrong with the holiday, but I just don't see it as the "best holiday" anymore. This year, I got tired of hearing Christmas music over and over. The Christmas tree was put up late because we were all so busy. I didn't have a wish list of things that I really wanted, and sadly of all.... gift shopping was so stressful! Yeah Christmas is the season for giving and I love that, but when it's obligatory, that's where it makes the season so stressful.

Stress #1: Sending out Christmas cards
I used to personally snail mail Christmas cards to friends. It wasn't until last year that I didn't get around to it and sent personal emails instead. This year, I didn't even get around to that! If I don't get a single Christmas card, I really don't care at all. Yet, when I don't get around to sending out my Christmas cards, I feel like a horrible person.

Stress #2: Having to give kids the gifts they expect to receive
I picked Emily for Secret Santa. She wanted a Zhu Zhu pet, which I had never heard of. As usual, I did things last minute and got Christmas gifts the week of Christmas. I actually had to look 3 places (these things get sold out?!?!?!) before I finally got Emily her Zhu Zhu pets and play sets.  They're such a waste of money, but if that's what she really wants, that's what she gets! It reminds me of those Beanie Babies I used to collect. They were so expensive... ranging from $5.99 to even $30+ to almost-retired and retired ones. I can't believe my dad would buy them for me. I feel bad now cause they're just all bagged up in a trashbag in my closet now. I got Emily two Zhu Zhu pets (not knowing what they are) under the assumption that having only one would be boring. Turns out she got a total of 5 for Christmas. -_-

Stress #3. Bearing the cold weather
It's so cold out! I really hate the cold weather. I am not a cold season person AT ALL. This year, my family didn't even get around to decorating outside with our Christmas-lit reindeers. We didn't put the wreathes outside. We almost didn't bother with the Christmas tree since we got around to it so late, but then felt obligated to because the family party was hosted at my house.

Stress #4: Preparing food
My family always hosts Christmas at our house. Hosting a party means preparing dishes. Every year we always spend hours in the kitchen cooking. This year was different. We didn't cook a SINGLE thing. We ended up getting dinner platters from the supermarket to make things easy. It definitely didn't taste as good as home cooked meals, but hey, at least for once, "preparing" food this year wasn't was stressful.

Stress #5:  Weight gain of 5+ pounds
Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the over-eating holiday dinners. Since then, not only is it hard to work off the post-Thanksgiving dinner, but you can't help but enjoy the holiday cookies, lattes, hot chocolate, rum cake, pumpkin pies, pepperment milkshakes, egg nog, etc, as Christmas nears. Then once Christmas comes, that's like a Thanksgiving dinner all over again. You end up gaining quite a lot and make that New Year's Resolution to "get into the best shape of my life!" ... only to realize that once you're in shape, the holiday season is just around the corner.

So yeah, I've concluded that the only thing I enjoy about Christmas are the extra days off (compared to other holidays) before you have to get back into your regular working routine.

Don't get me wrong though, I did have a good Christmas. Times with my family/cousins are always the best. I'm not a Christmas hater! I've just really decided that Christmas is no longer my favorite holiday. =P

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Home for Christmas

I didn't blog as much during my first semester in Grenada as I thought I would, but here I am now, back in Atlanta -- Home SWEET Home. Being home for the holidays has never felt SO GOOD!

To really re-cap my first semester in Grenada, I can honestly say it was an emotional roller coaster. I definitely experienced some high, motivational, uplifting emotions with happiness... but then there were also some times where I really just felt like I had hit rock bottom. My mood was depressed and my self-esteem was dropped several notches. In the end though, my last day on the island was one of the happiest days of my life. I met the requirement for the Charter Foundations Program and I passed the PMSCE. I made it!

Throughout the entire semester I couldn't wait to come back home, but oddly enough, just leaving the island after my first semester felt really bittersweet. I've gotten used to the island, my new way of life for the next two years, and I've met some pretty awesome people. At first I thought I'd just come down here to get the M.D. and come back, but now I think I'll bring back more than just the degree. I'm gonna be meeting a lot more people, making new friendships, and  hey, this is pretty much a once in a life time experience. I never did get to study abroad during my undergrad years; I'll consider this it!

All in all, I can get used to the island, but NOTHING beats out USA. I was smiling ear to ear when my flight landed at Hartsfield Airport. USA > Grenada, any day. This is going to be an awesome break.