Weihnachten Treat

Dear readers  
    Christmas is a time for being with family. A time of celebrating each other and the many blessings we have.  This is the first christmas I have ever spent away from my family and I find myself missing them more than usual. I had a wonderful surprise on Friday when my host mom told me that two packages had come for me in the mail and were waiting for me in the office. Now, I wasn't exactly surprised that I had gotten that first package because I knew that my Rotary club in Alaska had sent one to me. However, the second package was totally unexpected. It was from my grandpa and grandma and as soon as I saw it, I knew exactly what it was. Every year for as long as I can remember, my grandparents send a container of my grandpa's famous rocky road candy to my family for Christmas and it is always one of the best things about the christmas season. I was heartbroken to know that I wouldn't be able to experience the joy of eating rocky road candy this year. So when I saw that container sitting there in front of me, I felt the love and consideration that my grandparents sent with it.
    I enjoyed the second package equally as much. Between all of my families and my Rotary club, I now have enough chocolate to last me the whole winter. It is like people are trying to make up for my chocolate-deprived youth...I love it. Other than chocolate though, I received many Alaskana-themed gifts that I had been desperately needing for my families. I was so relieved to actually have enough gifts for all of the important people in my life. One of the greatest things about the package was finding my christmas stocking that my mom had sent with everything else. Inside were a couple of miscellaneous gifts but also a small bundle of letters and cards that my family had sent. It was a beautiful gesture of love from my family and I enjoyed it very much. My sister Araciela sent me a picture that she had colored and my brother sent a letter that he had folded into an airplane, one of our favorite pastimes together. My sister Aiyana sent a note asking me when I was coming home and what really blew me away was a headband that my sister Antonia had made for me. She knitted the whole thing by herself and while she said it was easy, I know it must have taken at least four days for her to make. All in all, it was a wonderful christmas gift from my friends and family back in Alaska. I now look forward to enjoying the rest of my break with my host family in Stoos, skiing every day and playing in a Swiss winter wonderland.

Sincerely,
Grace