Feeling festive and loving life

Right now I should really be packing for GOING HOME TOMORROW. But instead, having already watched 3 episodes of Gossip Girl and drank 3 cups of tea this afternoon, I decided to turn up the Christmas songs and blog about the generosity of the people I have met here and thus how much I am loving life.

So as you all know, it is finally time for us to head home for Christmas, and I'm super excited. This last week seemed so long at first, Lily having already left on Monday. But actually I've been pretty overwhelmed by all that has happened. 3 of the private classes that I teach are to children. The parents of these children are some of the kindest people that I have met during my time in Vigo, always taking interest in what I'm doing and ensuring that I am happy here. They all know how excited I am about going home, and so have been helping me count down the weeks for a while now, and this week I was surprised to find they'd got me some Christmas treats to take home to my family.

I really do think that the amount of turron that I have been kindly given by these families would kill me, either from a sugar or nut overdose, if I ate it all myself. Needless to say, my case will be stuffed full of it to take home to compartir it with the famdem.

There is, however, one person who has stood out to me as one of the loveliest women that I have ever met. The mother of the 2nd year bachillerato (Upper Sixth) student that I teach goes out of her way every single week when I go to teach her son David to ask how I am, suggest things for me to do and places to go, and to talk through any problems I am having. This week she not only presented me with a tonne of turron and polvoron, the latter being a dusty almondy type of shortbread, but also to introduce me to their family and friends and even offer me a place to stay when she realised that I was home alone. Her generosity and hospitality nearly made me cry, as did the whole room nativity scene that her sister-in-law had made (which was incredible). This week has been so overwhelming, realising that I am not only becoming attached to the people I have met here, but also that they are getting attached to me too!

Part of the Nativity Scene

As much as I complain about Vigo, I really feel as though things are happening to start to make me like the city. At the moment I don't really feel any real attachment to the city itself, but I am already beginning to imagine how hard it is going to be to say goodbye in June, not only to the amazing friends that I have made here, but also to the teachers, parents and families who have welcomed me into their lives.

Vigo...you're winning me over!
Catherine x

PS. HOME TOMORROW!!!!