Christmas stateside

After spending my entire year in Europe (with some footsteps into Asia!) I finally made it to North America for the final two weeks of 2012. Standing in the lines at customs, the excessively patriotic video clips even got my a little teary-eyed, though the thorough lack of sleep after a night at the airport may have had something to do with that.

My French pastries and I survived the trip across the Atlantic, even if we were both a little beat by the time we arrived. (Don't worry, the pastries were still delicious.)

Soon enough, I was home, surrounded by family, and sleeping in my own bed. All this of course meant it was about time for me to start packing my bags again. It wouldn't be one of my proper visits to the states if there weren't some power traveling involved. And so, less than 36 hours after my grand return home, I was off on another journey: Philadelphia-New York-Boston-Philadelphia in about 2 ½ days, traveling included. What was somewhat novel for me after a year's worth of classic touristing was how non-standard this visit was: There was no Rockefeller Center Christmas tree nor even a stop at Fanueil Hall. But there were visits to family members' offices, the Chelsea Market, visits to two DeRose Method yoga studios (under different states of construction), Thai food in Hell's Kitchen, and breakfast at none other than the Neighborhood Restaurant in Somerville. There were reunions with friends, stops at favorite stores, and lots of catching up. In the blur of it all, I hardly even remembered to break out my camera.

Catching up with some of my MIT favorites: Becky, Anya, and I over dinner in Boston.

Love this: Becky humored me and woke early enough that we made it to the Neighborhood Restaurant by 7am. This is two standard breakfast fares, minus the creamed wheat we'd already finished. God bless America.

Having crammed the sleep-depriving, leg-cramping travels into the earlier half of my time at home, I was free by about December 23 to start sleeping in, leisure reading, and some relaxed present wrapping. The rest of my time home was filled with family, good food, and a most memorable impromptu cousins' campout featuring, for the first time ever, the second-generation cousins. (In my family, the cousins were born over a span of two decades, so we had a sort of natural break-down into the "older cousins" (ahem, originals) and the second-generation or "younger cousins." Despite the originals' disbelief, the younger cousins are now mostly high-school and college-aged and admittedly old enough to be included in our shenanigans.) There were even a couple snowfalls during my visit, enough to at least say we had a white Christmas Eve.

A proper Repak/Aloia family Christmas, complete with the 'staches and Dad's homemade beers.

Only in America: Dessert at the Dockstreet Brewery in Philly consisted of crème caramel topped with whipped cream, fresh mint, and candied bacon. And by that I don't mean candy in the shape of bacon: this was the real deal.

Loaded up on America-specific beers and other treats, I managed to make weight, for the luggage, that is. Given how much of these same treats I enjoyed over the holidays, I wouldn't want to think how I'd compare. Reluctantly, though with some excitement over the upcoming New Year's celebrations I'll be hosting in Paris, I bid my family farewell today and set off for another year of doctoral research and cultural exploration.

Wishing you all a very happy 2013!