This post has been sitting in my drafts for a while since I have been so swamped recently, but after a hectic... I can't really give a time frame because I've always got an unreasonable excuse for just about everything all the time...
Over Spring Break, I didn't check my e-mail much, being that it was Spring Break. But the one day I did, I got the most exciting e-mail I have ever gotten. Opening it up, I was thinking who the heck is this person, and it never occurred to me that it could have been my host family. I figured I wouldn't know where I was going until May or June. Once I did open it up and started reading, I didn't know how to react from being so full of excitement. The fact that they e-mailed me in English made me even more excited, and I replied right away. Since she had sent it a few hours prior and it was late, I didn't expect to get a reply anytime soon, but she replied right away. We friended each other on Facebook and then began communicating through the Messenger app.
After talking for a while, I learned that Hillary was my host sister, and just so happens to be 16 like me! She sent me pictures of her lovely family that consists of her, her brother, and parents. I prayed that my host family would have a dog; and thank goodness God answered yes, because I don't know if I could live in a house without a dog. My host parents preceded to friend me on Facebook the next day and left me the most kind comments on how thrilled they were to host me.
Of course while all of this was happening, all I could think about was what city I was going to be living in. They live in an apartment in Lima in the Chorrillos District. I am so excited to be living in Lima, and in a place that is less than 20 minutes from the beach... Mom, who is currently beach deprived, is quite jealous. Living in a giant city of 10 million people is so different from living in rural, small-town Indiana, but I couldn't be more excited about such an experience. Even though it's pretty hard to get bored for how busy I am all the time doing something or another, living in a city that big, I will never be bored again.
Ever since I have been in contact with my host family, Hillary and I continue to text each other every couple of days and are already great friends. As excited as I am to get there and spend time with her, I am sad because we will only be together for a few weeks before she leaves and comes to the United States for her own exchange. After that, Scotty (the dog) and I will be the only kids in the house (but that's ok because the Scotty and I are gonna be best buds, too).
While Hillary and I continue to chat, I find out more about what life is going to look like while I'm in Lima, and just how rough my Spanish is. We go back and forth between Spanish and English when we talk. We have made plans to Skype each other this weekend, so that will be very interesting, given the circumstances of how well we speak the other's language- but I am so excited to get to know my family even more and more in touch with the culture. Even though I have no idea when I'm leaving yet, I'm counting down the days I left here at home before I make a home out of this new and exciting place. This adventure is creeping up quickly, and while I'm trying to value my time here at home, I'm so ready to leave and experience my exchange. It's going to be a great year.
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