Home for the holidays, Italian adventures, and rainy days in Spain
- claudiaerne41
- Feb 2
- 8 min read
Happy 2026, everyone! I hope y'all are staying warm if you're in the states. Here is my long overdue recap. January felt endless yet somehow also flew by.
End of December
I went home for Christmas! My parents were the only ones who knew, so I surprised my siblings, close friends, and extended family. The major highlight of Christmas, other than seeing my loved ones, was GOOD FOOD and so much of it. That is code for, I stuffed my face and indulged in every Christmas dessert you can possibly name. After being abroad for Christmas in 2024, my time at home this December fulfilled my stomach's greatest desire: home-cooked, holiday comfort food.
My family spent Christmas Eve at my Grandma and Papa's house with my mom's side of the family. Our feast started with bacon-wrapped asparagus, chips and dip, and cranberry goat cheese as appetizers. For dinner, we had endless options: the classic beef tenderloin, prime rib, cheesy potatoes, a brussels sprout salad, rolls, and veggies. Oh, and for dessert, we had ice cream and more than one pie. We like to EAT. We did a White Elephant gift exchange, and I spent time catching up with everyone in the family.
On Christmas Day, we opened presents, ate breakfast, and drove to my Grandma and Grandpa's house. We exchanged gifts, watched the Lions game, did a White Elephant exchange, and Facetimed my cousins from around the country. For this fabulous food overview, we had artichoke dip, mini hot dogs, ham, creamed cucumbers, rolls, and moon cakes (Grandma Erne's specialty).
The rest of holiday break in Michigan consisted of quality time with family, friends, and my dogs. It was so refreshing to see everyone and I'm super thankful for the time at home.
December 29th-January 3rd: Rome!
On the 28th, I flew to Rome with one of my best friends, Annie, along with her sister and mom. Annie and her family are from Ohio but the girls had a connecting flight through Detroit, so we reunited in the DTW airport at the Delta lounge (ideal meeting point).
We arrived in Rome the morning of the 29th and went out to sightsee, despite the jet-lag. The city was incredibly crowded since it was holiday season and the end of the Jubilee, also known as a Holy Year. Annie and I braved the line to St. Peter's Basilica, which took over 1.5 hours, but it was worth it. The Basilica was breathtaking.
We set out for an early dinner and hit the hay shortly after to get some rest before our Colosseum tour the next morning. Unfortunately, Annie's sister was not feeling well, so she and her mom stayed back at the hotel while Annie and I went. On our way to the Forum, we noticed a specific, very unique type of tree, which we later learned is called an Umbrella Pine.
We met our tour guide at the designated meeting point, and she was super friendly. She proudly told us that her entire family was born and raised in Rome! We started the tour by walking around the Forum. We saw Julius Caesar's burial site, learned about Vestals, and were informed about another excavation of the Forum that is still in progress. The guide recommended we come back in 10 years and see how much more has been discovered; this prompted the idea of an Aroz-Claud crossover again in a decade.
The Colosseum itself was super cool. I was surprised to learn that shows used to be completely free for Roman citizens. We learned about Gladiators and I loved seeing the hypogeum, the underground area of the Colosseum. Annie and I ate lunch, continued to walk around the city, and then found a place for dinner. Annie is gluten-free, so we found some nice allergen-friendly places throughout the week; Rome was surprisingly accommodating in that regard! We saw the Trevi Fountain at night and ate some good 'za and pasta.
The morning of New Year's Eve, all four of us went on a food tour. We had another awesome guide! He is a professor at NYU and lives in Italy for about three months each year. He brought us to several authentic places where we tried maritozzo, suppli, panettone, and focaccia, along with cappuccinos (before 11am, of course). Maritozzo is a typical breakfast delicacy, while the others are commonly eaten later, from what I learned. Suppli was my personal favorite; it's essentially a deep-fried rice ball. I've had Panettone, or sweet bread, in Spain but it did not even compare to the original. The focaccia was so delicious as well, oh my gosh! When I'm in the states, one of my favorite things to buy at Trader Joe's is the tomato and parmesan focaccia bread. Needless to say, the real thing is 10x better (I still love me some TJ's though).
Our guide did his Master's in Italian studies, so he had a lot of insight to share. It was a double whammy: walking and food tour! In the afternoon, we window-shopped and then got ready for NYE. We ventured out and found a cute wine and cheese shop, where we played cards and ate a light dinner. We finished out the night on the hotel rooftop, where we watched fireworks and celebrated the start of 2026.
The next morning, Annie and I caught a train to Florence! We ate some brunch as soon as we arrived, walked around, and then checked into our hostel in the early afternoon. We had a very chill day, letting the wind take us wherever it saw fit. We saw the Duomo, ate some pasta, and had great conversations. We hadn't seen each other in eight months, so a full debrief was in order!
On the 2nd, we walked to the Interactive Leonardo Da Vinci Museum. The museum was super entertaining and we both found ourselves hooked on different puzzles. It was mind-blowing to learn that Da Vinci wrote so many of his notes in reverse. We also went shopping, wandering around some vintage shops and spending too much time in Humana, a popular second-hand store. This Humana was huge.
Another place we explored was the Biblioteca delle Oblate, which was recommended by my friend Charlie who studied in Florence. It's a public library with a rooftop cafe and a spectacular view of the Duomo!
On the 3rd, we trained back to Rome and then went to the Vatican Museums. I was in awe of its elegance and antiquity. We spent a good chunk of time there and attempted finish everything out at the Sistine Chapel. However, they closed the chapel unusually early that Saturday due to a new restoration project. I was super disappointed but will make it a priority to see on our unofficial reunion trip in a decade.
The weather was rainy throughout the week, but not unmanageable. It was pouring on the 3rd but we spent the night packing and prepping for our flights the next day. I took an early taxi to catch my 6am flight and headed back to Seville on the 4th!
Reyes Magos Celebrations
I got back to Seville the evening of the 4th. It was more economical to fly to Madrid and then train to Seville. The train time allowed me to engage in my more introverted hobbies, like reading, journaling, and listening to music. My host dad picked me up at the train station and then I saw the kids and my host mom at home shortly after. Despite only being away for two weeks, it felt like ages since I had seen the family. I was happy to be back!
The next morning, celebrations began for Three Kings' Day! January 5th for most Spaniards is like Christmas Eve for Christians in the US -- it's the day prior. For lunch, we went to a traditional restaurant with my host mom's side of the family. We ate all the typical Spanish food: croquettes, Spanish omelette, meat, and picos (snacks).
In the afternoon, we drove to a town outside of Seville called Mairena del Aljarafe for a parade. There were several different floats in the parade: small ones with various themes and three big floats, one dedicated to each King: Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar. My host family loves the Mairena parade because the best gifts and candy are thrown to the children. The kids received so much stuff: stuffed animals, candy, soccer balls, coloring pages, you name it. We all brought bags with us to put our goodies in throughout the day.
Later that day, we went over to the kids' great aunt's house, where we spent time with the other side of the family. In the evening, we went down to watch the Seville parade that takes place in the city every year. The floats were incredibly extravagant, with illumination and intricate details. My host family told me that people pay to sit on the floats and hand out candy; apparently, the Kings pay a large sum of money.
When we got home, we set out our shoes and prepared for bed. The kids went to bed right away because they couldn't wait for the Kings to come. The next morning, the living room was filled with balloons, our shoes were stuffed with candy, and the kids were in a wonderland of presents. We ate Roscón de Reyes for breakfast, which is a donut-shaped cake made of sweet bread, candied fruits, and whipped cream. Inside of the cake, there are two figures: Jesus (or a king sometimes) and a bean. If you find the former in your slice, you receive good luck. If you find the latter, you need to pay for the Roscón. Luckily, I did not find a bean in my slice of the Roscón. Bless.
In the early afternoon, we headed to see the grandparents and cousins again and do a gift exchange. I met countless cousins and family members. My brain was working overtime to remember everyone's names and keep up with the conversations, but I enjoyed myself a lot. It was a very exciting experience to sit in on a holiday family gathering in Spain; it reminded me a lot of my family's celebrations, mostly with the great banter and multiple people talking over each other. I felt welcomed and my host dad's brothers wanted to speak with me in English, which was really kind.
January 7th-18th
The following day, school started back up. This week consisted of getting back into a student mindset and reflecting on my goals for the year. I made the decision to officially enroll for the C1 exam in May, which is a huge deal and requires a lot of studying. It has been my goal for years and I'm really excited to make it happen.
I am trying to be realistic about my goals this year. My other "resolutions" are to take my vitamins, wear sunscreen every day, and to stretch. Basic but necessary and often neglected in my daily life! The kids and I created a video interview this week to practice asking questions in English, and we made pizzas from scratch on Friday. I went out to a school party that Saturday with friends!
The week of January 12th, I picked up my TIE (foreign identity card) from the Plaza de España, worked on concessive clauses + more past subjunctive in class, and did some independent studying. It has been quite rainy in Seville, which I've been told is not usual for this time of year (or ever, really). It has given me good opportunities to go the library but the weather takes a toll on my motivation. Nonetheless, I've been trying to keep the spirits up; I've been going for walks during little windows of sunshine to breathe in fresh air and clear my head!
I also met up with one of my friends from my sorority family, Zetta, for lunch on the 14th. She was in Seville for January-term study abroad! It was lovely to catch up on her and all
the happenings at Miami. That weekend, I went out for casual drinks with friends, explored the mall near Park Magallenes, and spent Sunday out in the countryside at the family's farmhouse.
As for the last two weeks of January, that will be in my next post (which will be written sooner rather than later, I promise)! Once again, thanks for reading.
With love,
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