Urlaubsreif (and then some)

I've been neglecting the blog again recently and I'm glad these things don't need food and water. In case you were wondering, I'm not responsible for the plants in our apartment. You'll be pleased to know that on my first night in, in what seems like forever, I'm getting back into it. This isn't a comment on how awesome my social life is; the point is I am completely knackered and so relieved to be at home I could dance around the living room... and I would, except that said tiredness and a leftover panna cotta are holding me back. I'm done, fertig, pooped and all of the other English or German synonyms for exhausted. Anyone who's spoken to me in German over the last month has heard me say urlaubsreif at least a dozen times. This single word in German so beautifully expresses what you can only communicate in a complete sentence in English: that I am totally, utterly, completely ready for the holidays.

Well, aren't we all? I'm not claiming to have exclusive rights to this condition. In fact, I'm not sure I've spent time with anyone recently who hasn't been feeling the same way. I'm starting to wonder whether we've been infecting one another with a highly contagious strain of weariness.  This past month has been particularly intense for me and I know there are a number of reasons why I feel like I've never been more ready for the Christmas break. This is not to say that life is going badly, it's just been intense lately. And I know I'll need to take some time in the new year to think about how I want to progress with the three big areas in my (work) life: teaching, doing a certain amount of work for TWR, and support raising. 

When it comes to finding peace in the Advent season and getting back to what Christmas is actually about, I'm not quite there yet. But I know I need to get there.... I want to get there. Otherwise I need never again tell you about all the great work I'm doing for a Christian organisation. Without the meaning of this celebration to me, what I'm doing now would make absolutely no sense. It would actually be absurd. I'm going to keep thinking about this as I power (or crawl) through the last two days of work and head off for the festivities with family and friends. No doubt there'll be more food for thought/the blog soon...