Five months later...

If I told you that Christmas comes in May and December in 2011, would you believe me? If you don't, then you should start believing. My mom sent my Christmas gifts to Estonia on December 9th and they finally made it to me yesterday... Exactly five months after Christmas. It's been a big ordeal, to say the least. Here's a run-down of the timeline: 

In Place des Martyrs in Brussels, Belgium. 

• December 9th the package is sent from Seattle to Tartu with gifts for me and my Estonian family. 
• Mid-January, Jane complains to the Estonian Post who refers her to customs who has questions about the contents of the shipment. Apparently they sent a letter to Jane - but to the wrong address. 
• January 29th, Jane picks up the package and re-boxes my stuff to send it to me in France. 
• February 2nd, the package leaves Estonia and falls off the radar for over a month. 
• In the beginning of March, Jane finds out that the package is back in Estonia just sitting, waiting, wishing... Complaint inquires with Estonian Post tell us that the package was deemed "undeliverable" by the French Post. According to the three people I spoke to with the French post, the package NEVER made it into their possession. Later, Estonian Post tells us that the French couldn't deliver the package because my name wasn't on our mailbox. Seriously? My name has been on the mailbox since I moved in and there were no problems receiving the first two packages shipped to me... Or all the other letters I get from my insurance company... 
• May 24th, I meet Jane's friend Riina in Brussels, Belgium to retrieve my gifts. Five months later but not too late. 

Lesson learned? Don't send things to France if you don't need to... 

The goods - mom even sent my Christmas stocking!! Good thing she didn't send me homemade cookies!

But I got to call in sick to work and site-see in Brussels on a beautiful day! Plus, when I got back to my apartment, I got to open my presents on the phone with my dad and via Skype with my mom. This wouldn't have happened had everything gone as planned and that was the best part. I'd told them not to send me presents because my favorite part of opening gifts is seeing how happy THEY are to give me the gifts and to hear the stories that correspond with each present. Let me just say that my parents are awesome gift givers and I am so excited about what I got! [Don't forget my 25th birthday is coming up... it's a milestone birthday, yah know! ;)] It might have been the end of May and warm out, there were no Christmas decorations or pumpkin pie, but it definitely felt like Christmas to me! 

And coming up, I've got tons of pictures of Brussels to share! 

Bisous, 

-kelse