I have always like coming home for Christmas - and I always like to have guests. This Christmas was the second that Rebecca would spend with my family, and I was nervous for us, but happy for me to know she would be coming. She briefly touched down in Berlin for a couple of days in early December before going a two week adventure in Budapest, which I was endlessly envious of. On the 23rd she came back, and we had a lovely Christmas time - with a few awkward emotional moments thrown in. Christmas eve at my father's house is a treat for me. The food is fantastic, the presents are great, and everyone is in a good mood. The week went by with lots of chocolate, and a little bouncing around the sights. We decided that we were going to try to spend New Years with our friend Julia, whom we met while she was dating my best friend Luka. She had stayed with us for a couple of weeks about a year and a half ago, and it turned out she couldn't wait to return the favor. We made a date to stay in Hamburg for two nights, and rock into the New Year together. It was a good change of scenery, and New Years eve was a rockin' party that involved being rather sloshed and crashing a party across the street from the women's bar. Julia was a great host the next day as well, and showered us with warmth, affection and good vibes. We needed it.
After we got back to Berlin, Rebecca hopped on a flight to Paris to explore the city for a few days, and to take a break from a complicated visit. I went back to school and made an attempt to buckle down, though I can't claim I was all that successful. When R. got back, we spent another three days together, and I appreciated her company intensely, knowing it would be a while before I saw her again. It remains to be seen what this visit did for our process - but it was enlightening in some ways I suppose. Sigh.