Cannot wait!

As I got my host family a couple days ago, I have been communicating with my host mom via email. At first we were speaking in English until she told me that she doesn't actually speak fluent English..... That's when I decided I might a well get a head start on my Spanish, and try my best to write by myself.... Although I have been using google translate for assistance (about 1/3 of every email) but hey, practice makes perfect right? So I learned that I will be living in a beautiful, small, red house and I fell in love the first time I saw it.... On google earth I might add. I just typed in the address that was listed under my placement page and BOOM there is my beautiful future home. I fell in love instantly. I've been talking to my mom. About family and sports. I told her that I really love track and field and would like to participate in it while in Spain if possible, but if there wasn't a club nearby, any sport would suffice. And guess what? The VERY next day, my host mom emailed me saying that she found a track club for me and that she would sign me up if I wanted to do it. Ding ding ding. Now I already love my house AND my mom. I cannot wait to begin my life with them!! 

This is the home of the family that I will soon call my own. 95 days and counting......

Hasta la proxima,

Lilly

My permanent host family placement

Today was my lucky day!! After alllllllllll of the waiting that seemed like forever, I finally got my host family. While a lot of people have already gotten their host families, a lot are also still waiting. I feel very fortunate to have a family who chose me based on what they saw on my application..... Hopefully they can handle the Lilly.... Anyway, I was waiting for my friend to get out of class for lunch when I opened up my email on my iPod. I refreshed the page and there is was! "AFS: Your permanent host family placement". I literally started jumping up and down with excitement. I sent an email to my host mom, Lina. It turns out that along with my host mom and dad, I will also have 3 younger siblings. A sister who is 9, a sister who is 8, and a brother who is 6. Now, I'm comfortable with being in a family with a lot of kids because I myself am 1 of 4. Being the oldest one will be the new part for me. Knowing that I won't have any siblings near my age, I am nervous about beginning high school alone, but hey, I can really do anything I want to right? I am so very excited to begin my life in Spain with this beautiful family. About 96 days and counting until departure. 

Adios,

Lilia

AFS Potluck

This past weekend, my area chapter hosted a social potluck for any and all afs participants and family. While there, I talked to a student who is abroad in the US from Spain named Lluc. I loved talking to him because he could speak English really well, but he also had a thick Spanish accent. I asked what is something we have in the US that isn't in Spain and he said "peanut butter". I then asked what his favorite food in the US was and he again said "peanut butter". And finally I asked what is something he would miss after he leaves, and you could probably guess what he said. "Peanut butter". It was so fun and awesome being able to talk to him because it is getting me more mentally prepared for what kind of situation I have gotten myself into. Speaking of which, LESS THAN 4 MONTHS UNTIL I LEAVE FOR SPAIN. I am soooo excited and soooo anxious and I feel like it's taking forever, but before I know it, I will be on the plane to Madrid. But back to the social, I also met and talked with 3 other students from my area that will be going abroad with me to Spain. Along with them, I met a student who is studying in the US from Pakistan! Tuaha is his name! He was so happy and energetic and the coolest person I have ever met. I promised him that we are definitely going to hang out before he leaves within the next month and a half.... (Which is kind of disappointing to think about, because I will be in the same situation one year from now.) I'm not even in Spain yet, and I already don't want to leave!

Below are some pictures from the potluck.

Lluc from Spain.

Tuaha from Pakistan.

Hasta luego! 

Lilly