what did you get for Christmas?

I got a tan.

Before I go any further, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my big brother, Daniel. I wish I could be with you right now. I´m sending you prayers and good thoughts from afar. I am with you in spirit. I love you and miss you. Have a beautiful day.

....

This Christmas, being my first away from home, out of the country, and in Peru, was quite weird, to say the least. First off, I woke up at the crack of dawn on Christmas Eve to go on a hike in Tarata, a little town in the mountains about an hour and half away from Tacna. I went with Mo and her family, Martin and Edid, two peruvians, and Sam. This place is quite high in altitude, some 10,000 ft or so. We hiked around for a while, which was gorgeous. Actually, we kinda huffed and puffed most of the way. It was particularly exciting to be there for me because I imagine Andahuaylillas to be a bit more like Tarata than Tacna, that is, a quiet, small village in the mountains, high in altitude. It was also nice to get out of the desert of Tacna for a little bit, as much as I really do love the desert and its spirituality. After our hike, we then went to Ticaco, another town where there are thermal baths because of a nearby volcano. It was fantastically hot and really, really relaxing.

We came back to Tacna with enough time to take a nap before mass in Habitat at 7:30pm. I got there a little early to help out the choir, or more like try to sing in spanish with many words I didn´t know (word of the day: pañales = diapers/swaddling clothes). I got to sing the Ave Maria with Mo, who usually sings it with Cara, but while Cara is back home, I took the part. I messed it up a bit, though. I also got to play "Breath of Heaven," one of my favorite Christmas songs, on the piano for Mo and some peruvians to sing. I had been practicing all week, and I think it turned out alright for only having a keyboard with no pedal. It was the only song in English, too, of course, but really nice for me to do, to remember home. At the end of mass, the Jesuits had people wish everyone a Merry Christmas in as many languages as we knew, which was Spanish, English, Quechua, Aymara, and French. A very beautiful way to unite us all. After mass, we went around to give gift baskets and sing some songs to the poorest families in Habitat.

Afterwards, we all went our separate ways, mostly to each of our own host family´s house. I went back to mine: my host mom Edda, host sister Stephani, and host grandparents Enrique and Ophelia. Usually, Peruvians eat dinner at midnight on Christmas Eve, but my family ate earlier, at 11pm. We waited for midnight, during which everyone in town lit fireworks to celebrate. And I don´t mean little glow sticks, I mean the big guns. It was like a frikken war zone, I was so scared. Many people had started shooting the fuegos artificiales much earlier, but at midnight they were everywhere. They continued throughout the night, actually waking me up several times, which is impressive for me, a very deep sleeper. Actually, they have yet to stop; I just heard another one go off right now. Then, right after midnight the whole family hugged each other, had a toast, and opened presents. My host family got me a present, which was really nice of them and totally unnecessary. I gave them chocolates from my mom, which they then fought over who could eat them, haha. I know other families continued their night with partying and dancing, but we took it tranquilo and went to bed early, around 2am.

The next morning, Christmas Day, I woke up to Pannetonne and chocolate for breakfast. Peruvians do love their Pannetonne, though its Italian.... We then randomly decided to go to the beach for the day. Actually, apparently Peruvians here do that all the time. So I spent most of Christmas day getting a tan on the beach, writing and reading some, and talking to my host cousins and uncles about life.

In all, it was quite a different Christmas. I mean, I´ve never gotten a tan on Christmas. It´s not like it snows in Covina or anything, but still. It was also quite sad to be away from my family. I had a moment where I saw my host mom, Edda, hug her mother, Ophelia, and wish her a Merry Christmas, and I couldn´t hold back a tear, wishing I could hug my own mother. It is not quite the same over video chat. This morning, for the feast of the Holy Family, the priest offered a petition of the families of the "volunteers from America." =)

I hope you all had a beautiful Christmas. I am thinking of you and praying for you. I miss you and love you very much. Remember that, in everything, the big, the small, the pain, the tears, the ordinary, the weird, the joyful, and the peace, God is with us. Emmanuel. God with us.

Navidad, oh Navidad vive siempre en mi pensar. Señor ayudame a recordar que cada dia es Navidad.