Packing - It's Hard

I feel like there is more to packing than just putting clothes into a suitcase. Everything started feeling more real after I finished. Now all I have left to wear is T-shirts and sweatpants that I'm not bringing with me! I have been talking about this for a year or so bye now, and packed seemed so far away! Now it came and I finally bought all the things I will need during my experience - outlet convertors/translators. Those were all things I would possibly get (if I was going at all) in the distant future. But it became a reality! The whole friend situation is hard, I want to see everyone before I leave but there just isn't time! I will have a going away party on August 27th, where I can see everyone for a last time and give them my contact information. It is hard though, I will miss them so much! I leave so soon and so much is going on that I feel like I won't get a proper goodbye. I keep thinking "one week from now" or "one month from now" situations and I am excited but it makes me feel like I will be gone in a flash! I don't know how everything will go but I will trust that God will take care of me! Oh, here is a quick little fact: St. Paul, Minnesota is exactly 4525 miles distance from Barcelona, Spain! Adios for now! Here is a photo of my suitcase!

Everything is Happening So Fast!

So much is happening all the sudden! I think a lot of people know that my host family and my real family are switching daughters. My host sister got here on August 10th and I can't wait until I am finally with her family on September 8th! Also, I got my passport back with my visa in it! Only took 2 weeks! And the tags for my suitcase are coming along with the information about my travel in España! Next week I will start packing, and I am not worried because my host sister (Clara) will help me. We speak Castellano together and every once and a while she teaches me a little Català. We are sharing a room right now, and I actually really like it! We get along really well, which is nice because I have heard some stories of sister's not getting along. I am glad she is here because it gives me a taste of her family, and I know that I will be with some awesome people while I'm in Barcelona! On August 30th we will go to New York City and hangout there until September 3rd. That is when my brother, Clara and my dad go back to Minnesota for work and school. But, my mom will stay with me until September 5, when she drops me off at the hotel! I can't believe I leave for New York in less than 2 weeks! It is all happening so quickly! I guess it is because I have been talking about this forever and I will finally go! I am sad to say goodbye to my family and friends though, but with today's technology I will still see them over skype, whatsapp, viber, facebook, etc.

Getting My Visa

So I had to go to Chicago for my visa. I flew there a few days ago and walked there from my hotel. When I was sitting and waiting a bunch of girls in front of me started asking me why I was here and I told them the whole story "AFS.." And then I asked them what they were doing here and all 4 of them said they were going to teach English! That is what I would like to do when I am older! So we talked while we all waited for the family that didnt have their paperwork! Short and simple. To be honest, I didnt fully understand why it had to be and in-person-appointment because the whole thing was talking to a man behind glass. He didn't even look at me! Oh and he only needed like half the paper work we were supposed to bring. Right now, I am super relieved that I know I will get my visa!

Costa i Llobera

I FINALLY got accepted to the school I will attend in Barcelona! Costa i Llobera is a public school only a few bus stops from my house and I will be attending it for the next school year! In Spain you can choose between a few subject areas to base your school studies on - at first I picked SCIENCE but it took a few weeks to learn that that option was full and the alternative was SOCIAL. So I am officially taking the route of SOCIAL. I was given the options of what classes I wanted to take and I chose: -Spanish -English -Philosophy and Citizenship -Science for the Contemporary World -Physical Education -_- -Tutoring -Mathematics and Social Sciences -Economy and Business Organization -Contemporary World History -Psychology/Sociology And that is my schedule as far as I know! In Spain the classes change every day, there isn't hours or periods like in the States. Each class is just a certain amount of hours per week! Also, I think I stay in one classroom all day and teacher's switch, but I am not 100% percent sure. My host dad and sister both went to Costa i Llobera and took a bunch of photos for me! I am so thankful to have a host family that I already know is awesome. Here is a bunch of photos my host family sent me of my school!

Where Will Everyone Else Live?

Here is a map so far of where others will live!
View AFS Spain Placements in a larger map

My Visa

Getting a visa to live in Spain is extremely stressful and overwhelming at first! I need to apply with an in-person appointment at the Spanish Embassy in Chicago. AFS gave me dates I could sign up for an appointment (the week of July 20-27). I signed up on the 25th because my family and I already made plans to go to San Francisco and we would get back the day before! So my chaotic week in July will be fly home from San Francisco, the next day I will fly to Chicago and the next night I will fly back. So many flights in one week! I talked with AFS on the phone and they said the Chicago consulate takes longer to get visas sent (4-8 weeks) so I am hoping I will get it before I leave. I was reading a girls blog who is in Spain this year that had to go to the Chicago consulate and she said she got hers after 2 and a half weeks so I am positive! The school my host family applied me for in Barcelona still won't post the official list of people who got in until June 28th! Apparently I am number 22 out of 20, but my host dad , Ferran says that people drop out and he is hopeful I will get in!

My Flight Info :)

I woke up this morning to my mom telling me that I got my flight information because she got it sent to her e-mail too! I don't really know what I am going to do yet, because my mom and I might fly to New York together a few days before and go see a show or two and just spend a little more time together before I leave. But all I know is that I have to Arrive in New York no later than 4PM, September 5, 2012.  I then have an over-night orientation at a hotel. On September 6, I will fly over night to Zürich, Switzerland, and then have a layover to Madrid! And my last orientation in over-night in Madrid, where the next day I will take a bus to Barcelona!

Why I Decided to Be a Foreign Exchange Student

Last September, in the first week of school, I started searching for study abroad programs online. Before I even thought of studying abroad, I wanted to go on a mission trip over the summer but wasn't going over well - with my parent's. Since the beginning of my freshman year, I knew that I was going to live in Spain someday, and for some reason, I knew I would be fluent in Spanish someday too. This thought was before I even started Spanish 1, and I didn't know when or how I was going to live in Spain and speak Spanish, but I knew it was going to happen. Actually, my first year of Spanish school was horrible! I hated the class. I never really hated the language, but learning it was hard when you never studied! I quit halfway through my year but I knew I was supposed to learn Spanish. That summer I went to Ecuador on a mission trip with my church and I fell in LOVE with Spanish! When I got back I started studying every day, and I still knew that someday I would be fluent in the language. So when school rolled around (last September), I thought it would be a cool experience to live in a foreign country. At first I was looking into 4 to 6 months, but after a little research I decided a year would be better! And I found AFS and liked that program the most, so I signed up!

More Documents!

I recently got a TON of information! I am still working on my FBI Background check - it has literally taken a couple months - mainly because it is a government thing. But, now I have to get my official transcript from the school office, have it signed by the principal, stamped by the school, translated into Spanish by an "Official Translator" and authenticated with Apostilles! I know it is all worth it so I am able to live en España next year, I am just wondering what else everyone needs to do before we leave!

Where Cataluña Is!

Cataluña Region! I started teaching myself Català, it is a perfect mix of French and Spanish :)

A Picture Comparison

Where I will live

Where I currently live

Pretty sea view! I hope to go to the beach all the time!

My School

So right after my host family and I started talking they asked me about schools and all that. I had two options: Costa i Llobera or La Institut de Montserrat. I originally chose Institut de Montserrat, but after a while they suggested Costa i Llobera. The reason being they have hosted other exchanges there and know how to help me. Ferran (my host dad) said that ot was easier too. Also, I had to choose between three types of areas to study: Science, Technology or Art. I chose Science because that has the most classes I can take that I will be able to transfer! Apparently the school is 20-30 minutes by bus away and I will be home in time for lunch.
I really like my host family! I have skyped with them a few times already and they gave me a tour of their house with a video camera and they are all so nice and fun! I spoke in Spanish to them and it was really embarrassing on my part! But whatever, I will improve! I am super excited - especially because they are awesome and Barcelona is pretty dang awesome!
Actually, my family might host Clara (the host daughter) because she is coming to USA with AFS the same time I will live with her family - it is just a possibility! But that would truly make it an exchange! I will post more if any new bundles of information come to me before I leave!

I Got My Host Family!

Today I got an e-mail from an unknown address! I decided to take a look at it and found out that it was my future host family! They live in Barcelona and I am very excited to hear more about them. One of the weird things was AFS hasn't e-mailed me telling me that I have been accepted yet, but the host family said AFS-Spain said they could contact me so I guess I am! I also know that learning who your host family is this early is also weird, so I guess am I happy about that! A lot of the people I know who have been on exchanges didn't learn until right before they left. Hmm strange, but I am very happy!