Two years ago for my year abroad blog, to spice things up a bit (i.e. to avoid the diary-like style), I wrote an alphabetical list about my Christmas and New Year at home. It made lots of fun, as a German may say, so I thought I’d do this again. But I’ve given myself the rule that I’m not allowed to copy myself with any of the letters.
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A is for A New Start
Very cheesy (and very cheating in terms of the letter) but here’s to a new year and a new start. The end of last year was a bit of a shit one if I’m completely honest, for a variety of reasons. This year is (hopefully) going to be the year I realise what I actually want to do with my life, and that’s including what, where, when, how…
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B is for Black Horse
Black Horse is the pub in Exeter where we ended up at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Very random, but we’d been in the Impy and then boogied on down to Vaults, of course.
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C is for Card Games
From Bloody Mary to Cards Against Humanity, my 2 weeks at home seemed to be filled with a variety of card games. Do note that playing Cards Against Humanity with your family on Christmas Day probably requires a bit of alcohol beforehand (how the hell my brother knew some of the words I didn’t know I will never know).
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D is for Dentist
Not such a nice one – I went to the dentist. He looked at my teeth for £18.50. Damn me not being a student anymore.
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E is for Eggnog
I went to my dad’s on Christmas morning at around 10:30am, and Gilly almost immediately offered me an Eggnog with vodka and lemonade. Us Brits, eh?
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F is for Frankie & Benny’s
I managed to go to my favourite northern restaurant (because I’ve never been to Wagamama in the north) twice, once with Babass and Ellie Bean where we exchanged Christmas presents (or rather, they swapped and I just received because I completely failed on the present front for all friends this year). Then we completed our trip with a McFlurry! Shame we didn’t have chance this year to lie to the staff and tell them it was Beccy’s birthday so all the lights would go down and ice cream with candles in would could along, with Happy Birthday blaring out the speakers… maybe next year…
The second time was with my dearest mum which is a tradition when I come home – my treat (so we always go for the lunch deal with free refillable drinks). But of course I’d treat her no matter what the cost ‘cos she’s me mum!
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G is for Green
The colour of my trendy new 4-wheel suitcases, because both my old suitcases lost a wheel each. One of them lost said wheel whilst I was walking through Cologne to the bus stop…
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H is for Hide and Seek
Hide and Seek can be quite tiring with my nephew. But, bless his cotton socks, he didn’t quite work out that hiding in the same place over and over again makes it easier for the counter. And also that if Auntie Mel shouts “Where are you, Finlay?”, you probably shouldn’t reply loudly “I’m here”!
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I is for Igloo
When I stayed at Heane’s over New Year, she let me stay in her igloo. Well, she calls it her room, but she couldn’t work the radiator out and we might as well have been in an igloo… (I joke, she could work it out, it just didn’t seem to be working properly. Student life, eh!)
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J is for JCB
The present that stole all the thunder on Boxing Day when we visited my nephew. Not quite sure why he wouldn’t open a tiny present in the shape of a DVD after opening a big ride-on JCB…
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K is for KFC
Monty and me time and of course we had KFC. The chips have changed, but he doesn’t reckon so.
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L is for Le Raj
And also a traditional trip to the local Indian happened with my dad and his girlfriend, Gilly. It’s bring your own wine, and Gilly most certainly brought her own wine…
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M is for Megabus
I travelled to and from England using Megabus. In total I paid £46, which includes a suitcase, too. Not that bad at all! And I made friends too, Laura from Germany and Marc from England, which made the trip go that little bit quicker!
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N is for New Year’s Day
I spent the day with Heane and, well, food. And Exeter Cathedral.
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O is for Omega Ruby
OK, I’m a big kid and bought myself the new Pokémon. And then went to go see Paddington at the cinema.
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P is for Pre-Christmas Dinner
Another annual tradition – Pre-Christmas Dinner at Leigh’s house. It was extremely tasty as usual, it was just a shame I had to leave earlier to catch a train – though I think they were going to play Cards Against Humanity and I just don’t think I’m ready for that with that many people, some of which I don’t know.
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Q is for Queen
We listened to the Queen’s speech during Christmas dinner (I couldn’t think of anything else that begins with ‘Q’).
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R is for Remembering Revision
On the day I left Exeter, Heane went to campus to start revising for her exams so I joined her to have a look around the campus I left 5 months ago. Most of it hasn’t changed a bit, a small part has. Safe to say though that I got goosebumps when I went to the bottom floor of the library and saw my spot where I revised for exams a whole 7 months ago (wait… what?)
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S is for Snow
Or more ‘lack of Snow’! The only snow I saw all Christmas was from the train in the Sheffield area when I was on my way to Exeter. Gutted! I missed the snow in Frankfurt, too!
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T is for Trains
All in all I went on… 9 trains over the Christmas period. I’m not even going to work out how long I spent in total on trains though. Thank God for books and video games.
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U is for Up
Innocently heard Olly Murs’ new song on the radio, not knowing it was him, and liked it. Then my mum said it was Olly Murs. Guilty pleasure song of the year. It’s just so happy!
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V is for Violence
My brother has this weird thing of trying to lift me up into the air because he can actually do, but it just ends up in us fighting. I’m not looking forward to the day he grows taller than me, if it does ever happen. It was better when we was younger and a wuss and one poke in the ribs to tickle him sent him to Mum crying.
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W is for Wagamama
Managed a grand total of two trips to Wagamama, once in London and once in York. I miss you, Katsu. But thanks to Belinda I have bread crumbs, red pickles and the magical golden curry powder to make a Katsu whenever I want here in Germany!
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X is for X-factor
Didn’t the guy who won X-factor get Christmas number one? And isn’t X such a bloody difficult letter to find a word for?
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Y is for York
A trip to York to see Beth was lovely. I nearly caught the wrong train back so had to quickly jump off and spend another couple of hours in York – luckily still with Beth as she hadn’t got home when I called her!
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Z is for Zoo
The next time I’ll see my sisters, nephew and co. will be in Germany, and (if I am to still be in Frankfurt) the only thing I can think of to do with them so far is the zoo. I’m sure more ideas will appear when plans for them to visit are sorted!
Dan in Deutschland 
Really enjoy your blogs, don’t know were you get your wit from haha. Thought letter X would have commented on you running from the airport x-ray with your pants round your knees. No its a fab blog wish I could do that, be happy mate
Dad
As ever Dan you had me in tears xx Miss you xx