Welcome to a Full House

This week, my roommate's family came in from Brazil. They are going to stay through to the new year. It has been a few years since my roommate has seen their family and it's their niece and nephew's first time in near New York City. They aren't used to the cold like we are.

I have a really big extended family and having everyone in one place was always fun as a kid. I loved seeing all my cousins, aunts, and uncles. There was a lot of laughter and sharing of embarrassing stories. Though there never seemed to be anywhere quiet to hide.

Our apartment isn't the biggest. It's not bad for two or three people and my room is my place of zen whenever we have a lot of people over (probably because it's so messy and no one wants to see that). It can be tough having a lot of people here. I have to be really quiet while making breakfast, which can be hard with our squeaky floorboards. Also timing when to get in the shower can be a challenge.

It's worth it having people visit. Especially when they come from really far away. My roommate doesn't get to see their family very often and this visit is even more special since it's Christmas. My family also now lives far away and it's wonderful when they come to stay with us. There's tons of food, which is always a plus.

There is a small language barrier. My roommate's mom only speaks Portuguese, but their niece and nephew understand a lot of English. I only speak a little Portuguese (according to my app I'm 5% fluent). Between English, Portuguese, and a little Spanish (my roommate's mom understands some Spanish) we can have full conversations. That doesn't stop some misunderstandings from happening.

I do tend to follow a few basic steps when there are a lot of people staying with me.

• Offer to help with anything (especially if it's not your family visiting) - it can be as simple as making someone a cup of tea
• Have a quiet place - if you are someone who needs down time, having a safe and quiet spot to go to is key. It could even be a short walk around the neighborhood or sitting in the car for ten minutes.
• Ask what people are doing - it doesn't pay to be caught off guard
• Above all else - enjoy the moment. The apartment/house won't be full for long, so it's important to enjoy it while it lasts. The memories will last a life time.

Having an apartment full of people can be a challenge, but it's a challenge worth taking. I wouldn't trade my apartment full of friends and family for a short period of time for anything.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Until next week.