One Year

One year ago today, I began my Spanish life :) I never left it behind. I am counting down the days until I can return to my home away from home and see my beautiful friends once again. Macarena, Alfonso, Sara my host mom, Manolo, Fernando, Laura, Mariam my best friend, Maria, Barbara, Mariely, AFS students, and everyone else who touched my life this past year :) Os quiero ♥ Besos.

I will return soon with another post about school life here and in Spain. About colleges, and other AFS updates. 

Welcome to all students in the USA and good luck to all students departing to various countries! 

I am truly grateful for everything I was blessed with this year. I never took my life in Spain for granted for one moment. 

Adios, Besos,

Kate

Back in the Groove

Hey. It's been quite awhile since I have updated my blog.
Like I said before, even though the actual exchange is over, the experience will last a lifetime.

I am currently working on a volunteer application for AFS. I really want to help with orientations and be there for families and students.

I got home on the 29th of July. So it has been about a month and a half since I landed on US soil. So many things have happened. I am constantly talking with my friends over in Spain. I have told the same stories over and over again to family and friends here. Though I never do quite run out of new things to say.  I have a job now! I am going to save every penny for college and travel money!

I have had a great transition back home. Milwaukee is a great place to live and I have the best support system here. My family and friends have helped me get back into the groove of things.

I feel so much more independent and adventurous.

I can't believe that I am going to take the ACT soon. I am looking into colleges or more accurately, those colleges have been sending me 1,000s of emails each day.

... and can't wait for all my AP classes to start giving me mountains of homework. ahhh.

The new AFS students are here! I know there is a Spanish girl going to my school! And I just can't wait to meet all of them soon.

Again. I will write some more post-return entries for awhile. I know fellow AFSer Mary Beth kept her blog going for a little bit, too. It just helps prolong the exciting feelings. Helps inspire more kids. Gives more feedback and advice about the ENTIRE experience.

Here are a few pictures from Spain to Milwaukee.

My best friend Macarena. I spent my last weekend in Sevilla with my friends. Macarena let me sleepover and was the best Sevillano host-family I could ask for :)

I climbed to the highest point in Sevilla and saw the breath-taking views of the city! 

My best friends in Sevilla :) Jesus, Carolina, and Macarena. 

My host mom in Malaga's cat had kittens!

Euro cup! Spain won against Portugal. Poor Ronaldo :( Spain moved on to the finals to win the Euro Cup! World Champs.

My best friend in Spain. Mariam. She is so kind and sweet. I love her. I admit that we both don't look the greatest in this pic. But visit her blog here. She's quite the fashionista! 

Flying into Switzerland! It is beautiful. 

I went to my Grandma's house in La Crosse for the 4th of July. Mighty Mississippi. The 4th is my dad's b-day! 

Milwaukee during summerfest! I was on the sky-glider. Gotta love this city! 

I took a boat tour on the river which flows into Lake Michigan. I snapped this baby right here. Not many people  who live here even do this. My family and I went with Julian. An AFS friend who went to Spain with me. He lives in San Francisco. But he was in Chicago for a few weeks. 

This is my lake up north! I went to my other Grandma's house up north in Land'O'Lakes. Right by Eagle River in Wisconsin. 

My cute dog Darby. She was so tired our first day up-north. 

This is a picture from my first night here! Had a family dinner! I missed my best friend in the whole-wide world. My little sister is the best.

So that is it for now! School starts the 22nd. I have to get to know the girl from Spain who lives right down the street! I can't wait to meet her. I am busy, but I'm just living one day at a time. 

"Sin Prisas pero sin pausa." Not hurrying. But not pausing. 

Adios, Besos.

Katie 

This is not the end.

Just wanted to send a quick post saying that I am not finished adding entries to my blog. There will be a few more entries to come.

First of all I would just like to say that I am safely back home in Milwaukee.
It has been a crazy nearly 2 first weeks in the States.  I am happy to see my family and friends.
When I saw my sister at the airport I literally got the wind knocked outta my lungs.  Seriously, I started hyperventilating.
I can't believe that my time in Spain ended! I am already thinking about going right back over again.  I am looking for jobs. I am starting a fund! If anyone wants to help out? Haha I am kidding. Mostly...

Anyway, I am keeping up the Spanish. The family I babysit for is from Mexico so today all I did was speak in Spanish. I am watching my favorite TV shows in Spain on youtube.

Being back is strange. It feels like nothing has changed. A few things have. But it's not radically different. I think I might get a bigger shock when I start high school again.  It's been nice to see the huge differences between the two countries I love the most in this world!

I have more stories and pictures.  I just didn't want you guys to be left hanging. Like I said before, I may not be in Spain right now, but the experience isn't over.  There are a few AFS students from Spain who are going to be here right in Milwaukee and the Midwest! Can't wait to meet the girl from Spain who is going to my school this year.

If anyone has questions they would like to ask, please comment below:) I will respond to as many as possible. Which probably will be all if there are any.

Peace. I hope you guys will stick around to read the post-Spain return stories.  And what happened on the journey home.

-adios

6 days

I found this quote. I really think it speaks a great message.

Having a safe, comfortable place to go is
Home.
Having someone to love who loves you back is
Family. 
Having both is a 
Blessing.


Hola.


I only have 6 more days to go.  
I can barely remember what I was doing 6 days into my stay. I think I was just coming home from the beach in Cadiz. And I was getting ready for my first day of school. 
I didn't speak much.  I basically said, "Si, Si, Si..."

Now I am walking around town all alone. Taking the public transportation.  Taking buses, trains and planes by myself. Speaking to strangers.  Taking care of business.

I am excited to get home.  But I am not homesick.  I can remember the first two weeks here were hard.  I thought that I was gonna go home soon and that my stay here wasn't for real.  It really hadn't hit me yet.  It was crazy.  I think I was a few weeks into the program when it truly hit me.  I said, "I am here for some time." "I am not going home for a while."

I'm feeling kinda like that right now. I know I am going home.  But it still hasn't hit me even though I am excited to see my family and friends.

I know people that seriously do not want to go back home.  I get it.  I don't want to give up my freedom. I don't want to lose this new culture, my new language and friends. I'm going to miss the beauty of Europe.
The students here have built strong relationships with their host-families and friends.  They maybe even know their host city and country better than their own.  I know both Sevilla and Malaga like the back of my hand.
But everyone should remember that they have a home and a family right back in their country.  Someone is going to be happy that  their child, grandchild, nice, nephew, sibling or whatever has returned.

Life will be really different when I get back home to the states.  But being here has made me really appreciate  my country. And even though the USA isn't perfect and some people have some strong opinions... I am proud to be an American.
I also like this saying about life.  Because life is always changing.  Another lesson I have learned here.

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.
- Lao Tzu


But I have had a year full of experiences.  I am kinda sad that it's over but also glad that it happened.
Now, I am going to focus on the year ahead! I have a lot to accomplish.  Bring it on.  I am ready for anything.

-Adios

Funny the way things all work out.

Hello.

My last full week of school just ended.  I have packed a box to ship home.  And I have everything organized.  If I needed to leave tomorrow I could.  It's crazy to think that my time here is pretty much almost over.  I have had so many adventures. Crazy dreams and silly conversations.  I have made so many friends and talked with a lot of new people from all over the world.  I am genuinely excited to be going back home. I don't want to leave Spain though either! I have my friends and my family here, but I also have my friends and family in America to whom I need to return.

I'll miss the crazy Spanish heat down here in Andalucia! Sweat rolls down your your back if your outside for only 5 minutes.  I'll miss the incredible shopping. Zara, Stradivarius, Mango, Lefties... I'll miss the ease of traveling.  I'll miss the culture.  I am a southern Spanish girl. Funny because the southerners here in Andalucia have a different accent than those in Madrid or in Bilbao.  Kinda like how people in America can have a southern accent and a New York accent. What I really like about Spain?  Is that there is a concrete culture.  It's pretty typical to sit down to watch a futbol or soccer match here. It's pretty typical to go to the store to buy fresh loaves of bread every morning or afternoon. It's pretty typical to cut off jamon iberico right off the pig's leg.  I love the Spanish atmosphere. During the Spring everyone is so excited for Semana Santa and Feria.  The summer is all about spending time with friends and family and going to the beach or to the pool. The way they talk. It's so beautiful.   They have lovely sayings like, "If you chase two rabbits, Both will escape." They talk loud, and they talk a lot.When I am with someone new, I usually have a quieter voice and someone always tells me to yell because they can't hear me.  I love the sense of familia and amistad (friendship).  I love being able to get away with a few things that we teens can't do in the States. I love Spanish TV. The News has this little jingle that makes me happy every time I hear it.  I love "Aqui no hay quien viva" and "La que se avecina". They are the best shows on the planet.

It will be a little weird to have to do my school work in English.  Ya know?  Even though I speak English here sometimes, I haven't done any important school work excessively in English.  My notes are in Spanish. I usually study in Spanish...

I love that in America everything is different.  Every family has their own traditions. My family has special traditions on Christmas Eve and New Year's.  My family puts a cross our heads with honey after we celebrate the breaking of the bread on Christmas Eve at our house. And My mother always leaves us a quarter underneath our plates on New Year's Eve.  America is made up of different cultures from all over the world. It's a mix. That's what makes my country so special.  I love referring to the USA as "mi país" or my country.   But I love being able to relate and Identify with a whole other culture and country. What's acceptable, what's not. How the school systems work.  What family is, when the meal times are...etc.

Here the people are usually categorized in a few groups. Now I have near and dear friends who are very different from one another but special in their own ways. Here are examples..
- "Los Canis and las chonis" The cool kids.  They usually look like this...

-  " Los gitanos" or a Gypsy
Lot of times have long hair.  They are a very different group of people.
- " Los pijos" Love expensive labels.  Always are perfectly dressed. Not a single strand of hair out of place.  The boys and men with a pretty colored sweater over the shoulders.
- " Los freakis" Those who kinda dress in darkish colors. Goth, rock, punks.
- And there are other groups that still exist.  But just those are the ones that are special to Spain.  I know that they are people like this everywhere, but it's different when you are here.  You just have to come and see for yourself.
I can't even try to explain it.

I know I have changed.  I have realized that I am one person.  Even though some things don't seem to be working out my way and everything is going down the tubes, I know that there is always someone else worse off than I am.  And time keeps moving forward.  It'll pass.  I have accomplished so much. I now believe that life isn't about "finding yourself" it's more about who you create yourself to be.  You understand the things you like, and the things you need, and you work to achieve them. You build your life with the things you have worked to achieve.  It's all about having the right attitude.  I also believe that it's totally OK if you just want to feel hurt, sit down and cry. I am human and I can't be totally put together all the time.  Even when other's think that you should just "get over it" or "settle down" or "rub some dirt on it and carry on."  Just cry and/or feel a little sorry for yourself.  It doesn't matter that you fall down and hit rock bottom. What counts is whether you pick yourself off the ground or not.   That's what matters.  It's getting up.  Shaking it off.  And putting one foot in front of the other and moving on. And not dwelling on the past helps a lot too.

When I touch down in New York I have to catch a flight to Detroit.  After that, I am going home.  Finally. After 10 months.  I have seen my family on skype.  Talked to them.  But I haven't seen them past their torsos. I haven't physically touched them. It will be nice to have something familiar back in my life.  Of course I'll miss everyone and a lot of things here.  But I have had a great 10 months of experience.  I've overcome a lot.  I've picked myself off the ground numerous times.  Ya know? It's funny the way things all work out.

-adios

Bilbao, The Guggenheim, Aston Martins, and German kids!

bonjour!
ça va?

Haha just practicing my French. I have a test.

Hi.  How are you guys?

Well, I am OK. Things are coming to an end VERY quickly here and I feel that I don't have enough time to do what I want. I leave to Madrid the 28th and the flight is the 29th.  aaaaaaaaa

I want to go to Marbella, (The LA of Spain) and Gibraltar, (Technically you are in the UK when you go there, but you can see Africa) and Nerja, one of the prettiest beaches I have ever seen.
I want to hang out with my friends here in Malaga and in Sevilla. I want to go back to Madrid, go to the beaches in Portugal, hang out at BBQ's, sing, dance, laugh, go to the Feria de Malaga! Just have a great Spanish Summer. Well, if I save up my money all this year, I can come back next summer. I'll be 18 and it will be a nice break right before college! (Now I am going to get an e-mail from my parents)

I am continuing to have dreams in Spanish.  I don't want those to end. I wonder what will happen to them when I am back in the States and there is English all around me. I usually watch my TV in Spanish.  Very rarely will I switch it to English. I watched 'Gone with the Wind' last night.  I really liked that movie.

* IRRELEVANT*
When Scarlet realized she truly loved Captain Red and not Ashley , it was way too late. She begged and pleaded for Red to stay.  When that didn't work she asked him what will she do without him.  He finally turned around and said, "Frankly, I don't give a damn." End scene.  I LOVED that part. For so many reasons.

I just occurred to me that I haven't heard little kids screaming in English my whole entire year here.  I hear random people speaking English walking down the street.  I hear students, teachers, my American friends.  However, not little kids.  Like when they are playing.

So right now, I am feeling a little like I did right before I left.
- What will happen?
- What am I going to do when I get there?
- Will I like it?
- How am I going to feel? Happy, sad, angry, miserable, homesick, joyous...etc.
Do you see how these questions can be asked at either end of the experience?

School gets out the 22 of June. Oh take me now!  This is horrible! It's sunny, and hot, and worst of all I can see the beach while I am sitting in Physics Class.  Dios Dios Dios.

This past weekend I went to Bilbao with my family for my mother's nephew's first communion. Phew that was a lot of possessives.
I loved it up in the North. It is SOO green.  It feels kinda like being in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The bluffs, the winding river, trees, trees everywhere! It's so different from down here in the south. It's beautiful.  The ocean is close by. So I have been in the south, the middle, and the north of Spain.  Oh how I love this country.

Well, my host-mother's family is from Bilbao. I had mentioned it to her that I wanted to go if possible.  And I went! I met up with a friend in AFS while up there.  Her name is Lena and she is from Germany. I stayed with her family for two days. They are the most welcoming people ever. She introduced me to her friends and showed me around downtown. Most of you may know that a Guggenheim museum is in Bilbao, Spain.  I took TONS of pictures of the museum.  I went in. However, just the entrance.  I didn't have enough time to spend inside looking at all the wonderful art.  I spent about 3 hours in the Prado in Madrid!

I took the metro into the center with Lena and her friend Anders after we spent the day going to little towns with her family. In the town of Getxo (Het-cho) there is an enormous bridge that connects the two banks of the river.  It transports cars from one side of the river to the other town.  But it's quite an unusual bridge.  You'll see.

The flight up there wasn't bad.  About an hour and a half.  I went from Friday morning until Monday morning.  But on Friday, I had to get up at 5.15 am and be ready by 5.30. The flight left at 6.45! What a morning. I left with my two brothers while their dad drove us to the airport. (Which is about 10 minutes from my house) I was so exhausted when we got there.  My mom was already there.  She is an air-hostess and she was in London the day before.  So she just caught a flight to Bilbao. Anyway. She meet us there and we took the bus right to the corner two blocks away from her sister's apartment. Very convenient. That's another thing I will miss, the ease of travel.  Really, it is a LOT easier here.  Well after we settled down. I took a nap with Sara until 12.  Then my brother's and I took a walk down to the museum.  After that, we took Manolo up to the coast for his surf lesson.  The little Puebla is called Mundaka.  Just a little fishing, surfing village. And the drive is curvy and steep.  I was a little car-sick.

On Monday morning, Lena's host-dad took me to the airport.  I feel so proud.  I got through security.  Found the gate. Got to Malaga. Found my way out! (That was the part about which I was most freaked out!) Just that little bit of independence and trust.  I love it. I thrive on it.

Anyway, when I got home.  We had a German exchange student in our house.  His name is Sebastian (I have no idea if that's German or not) and sadly, he went home today.  Very nice kid.  I enjoyed his company a great deal.  One night Manolo, Sebastian, and I stayed up until 12 in the morning looking and and talking about cars.  A natural conversation. I love cars. So I wanted to show Sebastian my dream car and with him being from Germany, he was super excited.  I asked him why he was so excited and he responded, "I think that a person's dream car tells something about them." (Oh and by the way, I don't speak German, he can't speak that well in Spanish. But he can speak English.) So I finally revealed that I love Aston Martins.

I mean, who doesn't? It's a beautiful, discrete, luxurious car.  Not flashy like Ferrari's or Bugatti's.  And not cliche like BMW or Mercedes.  But it comes with a lovely price tag.

Anyway.  I will post pictures from Bilbao. Trust, me. You will love them.  I also used a cool effect on my iPod to take pictures that looked like they were taken in the 60s or around there.   
I am going to Sevilla again in the morning to see my friend Noelle and watch my brother's rowing competition!

The Guggenheim and 'Puppy' a giant statue made of flowers. 

Me, with the university right behind me. 

Me and a guy dressed up in traditional get-up. 

Mundaka 

My awesome host brother. 

Took this.  Isn't it pretty?

Cool dude. 

Other cool dude. 

mon oeil 

Bilbao 

Getxo

El Puente 

That's how the cars are transported across the river.  I also tried it out.  Very cool. 

Their Ayutamiento or City Hall was built in the mid 1300's. I think. That's what Anders told me.

Well that was my week.  I'll post soon!

-ADIOS!

Kissing games, Tribal rituals, Paper airplanes! Go AFS.

Howdy Y'all.


How's life been this week? Mine has been OK.   I have been thinking about my year in depth; reflecting, contemplating.  Especially this past  weekend since we had the last AFS orientation.  It was bittersweet.  Seeing the kids who are just beginning their journeys and realizing we are ending ours.  


I have been listening to the same song on repeat since the beginning of last summer.  This awesome band, Bon Iver (pronounced [Bonne Hiver] like French) is from Wisconsin and has preformed all over the world.  They have built up quite a lot of fame recently. Their first CD "For Emma, Forever Ago" was written during the long cold winter in Wisconsin a few years ago.  My favorite song is "Skinny Love."  It reminds me of Wisconsin.  You can envision yourself Up North in winter, but your're not that cold because your bundled up in warm blankets.  It's very Nostalgic.  Here is the link if you want to check it out.  He has an odd voice but I love listening to him, and the guitar, and the lyrics.  Just wanted to let you know that is how I dealt with the sadness I sometimes got when I wanted to go home.  I still listen to the song now.  I love it.


Anyway.  Back to the Orientation.  I met some pretty incredible kids.  They all had their quirks and flaws, but then again...Who doesn't? I sure as hell have mine!!!
I got picked up on Friday afternoon by my liaison Barbara.  She drove Maria and Ally (of course) and I up the coast about 30 minutes to Torremolinos.  It's a great little tourist trap.  You have your shops, restaurants, bars, clubs, beaches...etc.  And it's teeming with British people.  All I heard were English people yapping all around.  I quite love their accent.  Although I do a lousy impression.


I didn't realize that the new AFS kids in Andalucia were planning on attending our meeting, too.  The thought did pass through my mind because I read in past blogs that this usually happens. Anyway.  I got there and I started chatting with two really nice girls named Ana and Maria.


Ana is from Jaen and is going to Finland.  Maria is from Malaga and is going to be living in Michigan, right outside of Chicago. I roomed with the two girls and another friend Jaime.  Our group, which included me, was called the 'hostings' because we are already here on our exchange and the other group was called the 'sendings' because they are about to embark on their adventures.


Activities ranged from group discussions to everyone playing games together.  My favorites were the Kissing game, the Massage circles, and the shouting circle.


The kissing game was by far the most exciting.  The girls had a letter.  The boys had a number.  Someone was put in the center to start.  If it was a she, she called out a letter (girl) and a number (boy). The boy had to try to kiss the girl sitting in the center (who can't move) on the cheek before the other new girl called into the center stole a kiss on the cheek from him. If the boy kissed the girl in the circle, the new girl called would be the one in the center.  If the she stole a kiss from him, he sat in the center.  Then he would call a new letter (girl) and a new number (boy) and the girl would have to try to kiss him before the new guy stole a kiss from her.  It got pretty rough.  I got knocked to the floor on some occasions.  Other guys got tackled by girls trying to prevent them from kissing the girl in the center.  It was all fun and games.  Sometimes you just had to laugh at some of the pairs who were called out.  You knew that they wanted to kiss the other person.  ONLY in Spain.  I would LOVE to play this game again.  But I don't think many kids in other countries would be to comfortable with this one.  Or parents...


The other exciting activities we did were going to the beach during the day.  And just going out at night.  What happened in Torremolinos will stay in Torremolinos.  Crazy kids.


The other interesting thing was when the 'hostings' invited the 'sendings' to a sacred ritual.


Actually the whole point of the exercise was to teach them that coming into a new culture is not always easy.
You might know that it will be different.  But you have no idea what to expect.  Anyway.  Our tribe was called the Albatross.  We all wore white tunics.  I was the queen of the tribe so I had a special head part to play. We had our own gibberish language and nodded yes when we were saying no and vice-versa.  Being the queen, I had to welcome each lady with a greeting, and feed and quench thirsts for everyone.  The Food was different.  We tricked them and feed them crackers with ketchup that looked like chocolate because we mixed chocolate sauce into it.  And after I feed them (which most of them burped or gaged) {nor could they spit it out because we had no napkins or trash cans} I went around with the water....with a little vinegar mixed in.  I directly feed the boys.  Put the cracker into their mouths.  Held the water cup to their lips.  The king had a huge elaborate throne... while I sat on the cold ground even though I was a the queen.  The other boys had chairs too and could keep their shoes on.  The girls had to sit like me on the ground with no shoes.  It all seems pretty sexist, huh? Such a chauvinistic society!


<<<<<<<<<<WRONG>>>>>>>>>>!!!!
               
Actually in this culture. The men are considered to be un-pure, dirty. They can't touch the food they eat or have direct contact with the ground. So they have to keep their shoes on. Their women will always feed them.  The Women are considered sacred, pure and natural beings.  We don't need shoes. We can feed ourselves. You see where I am going.  I bet even you thought that the tribe I was describing before was sexist and chauvinistic! Never Judge.  This was all a valuable lesson.  Even to me.


I can't wait to see some of the AFS kids who are going to be living right in my neck of the woods.  I really want to help out that the  orientations and everything like that.


I'll write a new post about my feelings on coming home.  I am going to Bilbao this weekend.  It's way on the other side of the country in the North. I can hardly wait!!!!  

Ally, Julian and Me

I find this to be the cutest picture ever.

Me and my Host Momma

The pictures are kinda moving backwards.  This was at the end of the weekend. 

Not gonna lie.  I Kinda look like a DSHA girl here.  Ohh slowly but surely. 

This is what I do...

Obviously the greatest group of kids EVER!

AFS!!

And yep! That's pretty much it!  Long post.  But I know you guys love reading.  BTW I hope you have all liked my friend Ally's Photography Page on Facebook!

Here is yet another incredible picture.  Suject, me of couse :)  Hahaha

ADIOS!!