My Away Easter

So, yesterday marked two pretty significant points. One. My first Easter away from my family. Two. Exactly two months since I left home. All in all, I feel that I handled Easter pretty well! Going into the day, I was a little bit anxious, picturing myself having an emotional breakdown in the Sunday service (which was beautiful, by the way!). It really didn't seem much like Easter, for several reasons, the main one being that I am away from family. Also, the weather is backwards. Easter normally doesn't come after summer in CA. Aaaalso, we had no cinnamon rolls or sticky buns. But we did eat some pretty scrumptious Hot Cross Buns! I may just need to bring this tradition to the States! (But can they compete with homemade cinnamon rolls? Hmmm...) And while I probably was a tad more sensitive this weekend, comparatively, I am so thankful for my host family and my new friends who have made this transition not only bearable, but gave me the opportunity to actually have fun and not dwell on my homesickness.
Good Friday was the hardest. An emotional time already, I may or may not have had to wipe my eyes during that service. I was, however, so glad and grateful that I was able to go! I got a few hugs, and that made me feel a little better. It's amazing, when you are out on your own, how much simply saying hello and having a quick chat with people, even random strangers, can totally make your day. Before this trip, I realize that I really wasn't great at talking to new people. Sure, I would introduce myself in school classes, but those people I would be sitting next to and seeing several days a week for the rest of the semester, so I might as well learn their names. But ever since coming to Australia, I love meeting people! Even if it's someone who I probably will never see again, I have come to greatly enjoy starting up a conversation with them. It brightens my day. And I'm sure it makes there day all that more interesting. They are able to go home and tell their family that some random girl with a weird accent kept talking to them in the line at the grocers. Point of this lesson: talk to people! Because it's fun!
Easter Sunday was quite eventful and entertaining! After going to the later service at the church, I hung around for about an hour past the sermon's closure, just saying hi to people I had met before, meeting a few new faces, and generally just passing the time. I've gotten quite good at time-passing. And can I just take a minute to brag on this church! I can't even imagine being here without having found Lifestreams! It is the highlight of my weekend to go on Sundays, and the highlight of my week when I get to meet church friends for lunch (I've been doing that quite often, just about every Tuesday since I've arrived). I definitely believe it was a God thing that I stumbled across it. I was planning on doing some church-shopping to find the perfect fit, and this one was further away from the house than I thought at first (about 25 minutes). But my first morning, I met so many wonderful, welcoming people that I instantly felt connected! So I never had any need to leave! Truly a huge blessing! Anyways, Easter Sunday. After standing around in the cafe chatting until 1pm, a large-ish group of young adults went to have lunch, so I tagged along for some yummy Eggs Benedict (yeah, breakfast for lunch! Cuz that's how I roll) and some fun conversations. Afterwards, I went back to my friend's house and we watched a movie with her housemate. Then, I came home and relaxed for a short time before some of my host parents' friends arrived and we proceeded to have "steamboat," a dish in which everyone sits around a table and dips uncooked food into bubbling soup in the center, until such food is cooked! It's kind of like fondue + soup. Uhhh yum!

To top it all off, this next week is three-day work week! Easter Monday is today, and not many people work, then Friday is a national holiday, Anzac day. (A memorial day for Australian wars, if I'm not mistaken.)
Anyways, it's a pretty easy week!
Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!
xoxo