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Let me just start by saying this: I typed almost this entire entry using my Spanish  keyboard and kept wondering why the words continued to change to words that I had no idea the meaning was. That was why. The Spanish keyboard is helpful when you are typing in Spanish, not English. 

ANYWAY, today was my lucky day. After hours of confusion and many cancelled appointments. I finally have gotten my visa. Unofficially of course. Today was appointment at the Spanish consulate and it was the easiest thing ever. We literally walked up to a window (to a VERY nice looking Spanish man I must add) and we handed him the papers he asked for and boom, I had my visa. Not officially though. He said that we were successful and that my passport containing the visa would come in the mail in 3 weeks. HALLELUJIAH. The visa process was soooooo complicated with collecting papers and trying to book appointments and everything, but when it came down to it, it was just a 10 minute confrontation that made the whole process seem pointless. All in all, I am super happy and I leave in 34 days. Ahhh it will not come soon enough.

Lilly

Momoka from Japan

So somewhere along the way in this crazy process, I somehow convinced my parents that it would be a good idea to host while I'm away. I mean there will be an open bed so why not! My host sisters name is Momoka, and she is from Japan. She will be arriving here on August 15th, about 2 weeks before my departure. We have emailed and talked and I am SO excited to be able to meet her and hang out with her before I leave.

If you are reading this, I suggest that you try your best to become a host family. I was lucky enough to receive my family more than 3 months before my departure, but I still have friends that don't have family. I understand how nerve wracking it is, and I also know how freaking awesome it feels to open up the email saying you received your host family. You can be the reason that someone's day is great, and even better, you can be the reason that an exchange student's year is great. Do it. Go for it. Your student will be eternally grateful for you, and I'm sure you will be eternally grateful for them. Once a family, always a family.

Stupid visa

I can easily, without a doubt say that the visa process is the hardest, most stupid, and difficult for no reason thing that had to do with going to Spain. To everyone who will be reading this, thinking about studying abroad next year, I'm not going to make it out to be a stroll in the park. Because it's not. It's hard and annoying. 

When you first start, the paperwork seems like a lot and VERY overwhelming. But once you get it all together, you realize that it wasn't that difficult. My ONE recommendation would be to go onto the consulate website ATLEAST 2 and a half months ahead of time to make your appointment. Me and my mom went on in late May and the earliest appointment they had was August 7, which is cutting it very close. Luckily, a week later a couple spots opened up in late June. But not lucky. THE DAY BEFORE we left for NYC, we were told that I can't get my spanish visa unless I have my school in Spain. Ugh. Wow so I have my host family, but not school. So that day we cancelled me June 23 appointment, and scheduled the nearest appointment....... September 3. Yes. Exactly, do not procrastinate with scheduling the appointment or else you may be leaving separately than everyone else. BUUUUUTTTT, today, my mom called me and told me that a couple slots opened up in late July, which is exactly what we needed! I was also able to message my friend Ryan (who's luck was not much better than mine with a date of September 2) and tell him to get on the website and get booked!! The appointments get booked VERY fast and really the only way to get one without missing it is to refresh the site every half hour. Yes, that is what my mother and I did for about 4 days straight. But anyway, I just felt the need to post because I am so ecstatic. 

So, I already have like 8 posts or something like that, and I'm not even in Spain yet..... My prediction is that as soon as I get there, I will either post all the time, or drop off the side of the earth and just forget about my blog as my new life progresses. I guess we have yet to see.... 68 days and counting!

Buenas Tardes,

Lilly

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

Afs-Spain

Today may have been the best day of my life so far. I was in third period when my mom texted me, telling me that I was accepted into AFS-Spain! The past 5 weeks and 5 days have been the longest ever. After I was accepted into AFS-USA they told me that my application would be reviewed by Spain in the next 4-6 weeks. Of course, being the super optimistic person I am, I was hoping for it to come sooner than that. Sadly, it did not. But happy now, I have been accepted into Spain! I have already started the visa process for Spain, and so far it is such a hassle! I had to get my passport notarized and get an apostille and then get that notarized! Whatever that means. I am just very happy now that i have been guaranteed to go abroad. Lets just say that even though the process may take forever, once it is all said and done and there is no more left to do, you are free! I can't get it through my head that this time next year I will be completely comfortable with a new family and a new group of friends and a new language. It all just seems too good to be true.

Well, adios for now,

Lilly Cook