Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all had a great holiday! For me, this holiday has been one to remember. I am still in shock that I was able to pull of the biggest surprise ever, and completely shock my family and friends by coming home for the holidays. My dad and I timed my arrival perfectly to make sure both my siblings and my mom were home. I still remember my mom’s face when I walked in—she had to take a triple take before realizing it was me. Needless to say, at that moment I really felt at home and blessed to be surrounded by my family and have the opportunity to spend the holiday with my loved ones. During my time at home I took full advantage of the things (food in particular, especially my mom’s cooking) I could only experience in America. My holiday break was filled with wonderful times of catching up with family and friends, and filling them in on all of my adventures during my time in Ireland over the past 5 months. Being in a familiar space and around my family and loved ones served as the perfect charge and boost I needed for returning back to Ireland and facing 2017 head on. I look forward to seeing how I grow and develop even further over the next 4 months.