our holiday gift exchange was so great! it was so cute and we had so much fun! i was really happy with the gifts i gave everyone, and i got a lot of great ones too. meghan gave me a marionette (!) like the ones mv and i saw in prague because i saw them at the art institute gift store and i told her about them. i had wanted to buy one in prague for my dorm room, but i didn't because i thought meghan would think that i'm weird. but now i have one, and her name is susanna (like in the marriage of figaro). gabe and rob gave me this cute stuffed elf guy that they said reminded them of me since it hugs you around the neck. at first, i was like, "this little elfin man reminded you of me? thanks..." allison got us super-comfy pajamas, and we're all wearing them now : ). anna got me "ferris bueller's day off" since we watch movies all the time and it takes place in chicago. and raksha gave me this cute book that deciphers images in dreams, it's going to be really useful. agh! it was so wonderful! i love the friends i've made here. we took so many pictures, rob was like the dad of the family because he was taking pix of everything. now that things have settled down, we're going to sit around, watch christmas movies, and play a board game. good times...