Arrival

Last tuesday, around 4:30 in the afternoon, I said my final goodbyes to Flagstaff and the people I love there. It was very difficult, but I also felt ready for this adventure. My mom and I drove down to Phoenix and spent the night at the most generous Geoffery Gooby's house, because my flight to New York left at 7 the next morning. We had to get up at 4 so that we could be at the airport a little after 5. It was hard to say goodbye and get on the airplane alone, but I was also extremely excited.

I arrived in New York about 45 minutes later than planned because of some weather delays. Me and a boy going to Italy got our luggage and took the AirTrain in JFK to the shuttle area, to be picked up by the Hotel's shuttle. I was nervous because we were on our own, but it all turned out fine. At the hotel we got our room keys and another AFS booklet and an agenda for the orientation. The orientation wasn't that bad. The next day it was only until about 12, and then we had lunch and waited. I played ukulele with a girl going to Italy who also had a ukulele and a boy going to Ghana who had a banjo. We left the hotel at 5 and were all waiting in the terminal by 7. My bag was exactly 44 lbs, or 20 kilos. At 8:30 we boarded the plane - it was the largest I've been on. There were three rows, the outside rows had two seats and the middles row had four. I was in the middle row in one of the middle seats. There were tvs for each seat and we were able to watch some movies that were in theaters this summer. They also served us dinner and breakfast. Some people were able to sleep, but I couldn't at all. It was about an 8 hour flight, but we arrived in Zurich around 10:30 the next morning.

At the Zurich airport we took the airport train and went through customs, which was basically just handing over your passport and having it stamped and moving on. The Zurich airport was very nice and kindof fancy. We waited there for awhile and some people bought some Swiss chocolate. Then we got on a smaller plane and were finally off to Madrid!

It was so exciting landing in Madrid, but I was a little nauseous too from all the flying. In the Madrid airport we collected our luggage and went to find the AFS Spain volunteers. They were very excited to see us. We waited at the airport for awhile and then all got on a bus to go to the Youth Hostel where the last orientation would be held. There, we were given rooms to share with other kids who were going to be in our area. I shared a room with a guy from Sweden, a guy from Thailand, and a girl from Finland. At first, the fact that boys and girls were sharing rooms and bathrooms was startling, because it would never happen in the U.S. However, I really liked the people in my room.

Another thing that would never happen in the U.S. is the first game we all played. There were about 80 students there by that point, the kids from Asia hadn't arrived yet. The game went like this: one person would sit in the middle of a giant circle and call out two numbers. Everyone in the circle had been given a number. The two whose numbers were called had to run up and try to kiss the person in the middle on the cheek before the other person who was called. To make it more amusing, the person in the middle had to try not to be kissed. All the U.S. students thought this was pretty strange. All of the other games we played were very...physical as well. The volunteers were trying to get us accustomed to how "touchy" the Spanish are. After games we sat through a quick orientation and then ate dinner. After that, everyone just hung out. I played my ukulele and talked to the Swedish guy, Erik. I was telling him about my life in Flagstaff and he says, "You're really a hippie, aren't you?" I thought it was hilarious. He dressed very "hipster" as my friends would say - thick glasses, stylish button up, etc.

I slept like a rock because I don't think I had slept for something like 32 hours. The next morning we got up and went to breakfast, then played more games. Host families arrived around 10:30 for the kids staying in Madrid, but we didn't get to meet them until 2 because they had to sit through an orientation. When we finally got to meet them, the volunteers told us to smile really, really big. When we entered, all the families applauded. Then volunteers called out the family name and our name (Spaniards have some trouble reading mine) and we walked up to each other and gave each other two kisses, one on each cheek. then I met my liaison and got to go home!

Alcorcon wasn't far from the hostel. It was a little awkward in the car, I'm just glad my host dad, Jose, knows some english. I live in a 7 story apartment building, my family has an apartment with a room above and a patio on the roof. It's very nice. They are all making me feel very at home. Yesterday, after I got there they told me that there was a party that would be going on till 3 in the morning in the courtyard, to celebrate the last days on summer, I think. We ate lunch and Jose's parents were there. They were also very nice. After, I took a nap because I was still very tired. When I woke up I talked with my host mom, Ani. Later, we ate some dinner and went down to the party. They were playing games and then started blasting mostly American pop music, and everyone started dancing. Jose hurt his back earlier this week at work, so he and I left early because, once again, I was tired. Ani and Marta and David (my little sister and brother) stayed downstairs until 3:30. I unpacked and fell asleep.

I am so excited to be here. I think I'm going to have an amazing time.

airport train in Zurich

flying over Zurich

in Madrid

Youth Hostel room

view from my bedroom