Yesterday I skyped for the first time with my first host family! I had half-skyped (no camera, basically like the telephone) with my host mom before (Valérie), which was fantastic, but this time I talked with my host mom, my host dad, Freddy, and one of my host sisters, Perrine. Perrine has a sister, Florence, but she is going on an exchange of her own to Finland while I am there. I won't be able to meet her when I get there because she will already be gone, but I hope to meet her at the end of the year! They are such sweet people, they were so patient with me speaking French and I can't wait to meet them in person!
This time in one month I will be on a plane to Brussels. Incredibly hard to believe? Yes. I still can't really fathom that this is real, trying to imagine being in a different country away from my family and friends for a year is impossible. All I know is that it is the right decision, and your gut is all you ever know for sure.
Anyways, I am in the midst of preparing, waiting for my Visa, buying gifts for my host families (I have three! and they all seem incredible), waiting for my Visa, making pins (to exchange with other students), my insurance, buying things I will need, waiting for my Visa... it's an intense time. All I can think about is Belgium, but I want to be thinking about really spending time with everyone here before I leave.
My first host family doesn't speak any English, so I am trying to pack in as much French as possible before I leave. I talk to my host siblings over facebook, which is actually incredibly helpful, and I'm doing a language exchange with a boy from the Congo. Both of these are helping me so much, I'm not very worried about being able to communicate when I arrive. I still have a ton to learn though!
Must sleep, I have work in the morning and that is helping me get to Belgique!
Bonne Nuit
Anyways, I am in the midst of preparing, waiting for my Visa, buying gifts for my host families (I have three! and they all seem incredible), waiting for my Visa, making pins (to exchange with other students), my insurance, buying things I will need, waiting for my Visa... it's an intense time. All I can think about is Belgium, but I want to be thinking about really spending time with everyone here before I leave.
My first host family doesn't speak any English, so I am trying to pack in as much French as possible before I leave. I talk to my host siblings over facebook, which is actually incredibly helpful, and I'm doing a language exchange with a boy from the Congo. Both of these are helping me so much, I'm not very worried about being able to communicate when I arrive. I still have a ton to learn though!
Must sleep, I have work in the morning and that is helping me get to Belgique!
Bonne Nuit