Merry Christmas!

Two days....and then I arrive home after around four months of being 5,000 km away from my family. My patience is wearing thin but I remind myself that I got through it last year so I can do it again this year, but STILL! It's hard being so far away from my family.

My mum is amazing. She claims I've abandoned her and have left her to the mercies of my dad and brother, ie think sports all the time. My dad loves to meditate and is into alternative medicine, which surprisingly seems to work better than conventional medicine! My brother is 17, though to me, he's still a kid. And dear lord, he got his 'Novice' driver's license a few weeks ago. Last time I drove with him was in June and I came out of the car, shaking and white-faced, and vowing never to get in the car with him again. Apparently, he's improved since then but I'm still waiting for him to get his full license. (In BC, there's your 'Learner's' which you have for one year and can only drive with family, and then your 'Novice' for two years where you can drive with one non-family member, and THEN you get your full driver's license.)

My brother and I goofing off at DisneyWorld

I think, for me personally, being so far away from them is what is most hard about being at MTA. Don't get me wrong, I love MTA and don't regret my choice in coming here at all. It's just sometimes when my friend's parents visit or their siblings or they get to go home for the weekend, I get kinda jealous. They don't seem to realize how lucky they are to be able to see their family often and it does get to me.

BUT, that being said, being away from my family, also definitely increases my independence. Yes, I miss them terribly, but I don't have to rely on them for laundry, or food, or other things. I have lots of friends I trust and I learn to cope with whatever problems surface. And when I do finally see my family, it's that much more special and touching.

I remember when I first told my mum and dad that I was going out East for university. It was right after I got back from 'Go Global' camp at MTA and I had fallen in love with it. My mum's response was, "Are you sure honey? You know there's University of British Columiba-Okanagan about two hours drive away. Or there's a nice college just an hour away - you could commute and live at home!" For some reason, that arguement didn't convince me - it made me want to go even more! But once they realized I meant what I said, they supported me 100%.

So this is my last official post until next semester. I hope everyone enjoys the holidays and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Two days....and then I'm home.