During these weeks I was able to finish my english class and get close to finishing my government class. Now all I have to do is take the final for it. While working day and night to finish, I also made some time to spend with my friends and family before I left. The saturday before I left some of my family came over for a lunch so I was able to see them before I went off for a year.
 |
| My Family After Lunch |
The next day (Sunday), I went to our family friend's house for dinner. I knew that we would be having dinner there but I thought that it would only be the two of ours families. After about 30 minutes, all of my friends started to show up and it turns out that they threw me a surprise going away party. It was great to see all of my friends before I left especially since I had been working and going to school all summer, not having much time to spend with them. The party made me realize that my exchange was that much closer, and that I was about to leave everything behind and start over.
 |
| A few of us from Sunday night |
Saturday came and I was ready for my flight. My family took me to the airport, we said our goodbyes, and then I was off! My first flight to Atlanta couldn't have been smoother. I had an empty seat next to me and was able to fit comfortable. The flight was over before I knew it and it was then time to find the international terminal. I had been warned that if I chose to walk to the terminal it would take a while and I'm glad I took the train. I found my terminal and then found my gate. Getting hungry, I decided to go find something to eat. My last meal in the U.S.! Choosing from a poor selection, I decided to go with some tacos and then I stopped by Starbucks on my way out of the food court area. Once I sat down at my gate, a girl came up to me as she also noticed my blazer and asked me where I was going. She told me she had been an exchanged student to Louisiana a few years ago and we talked for about thirty minutes which made the wait quicker and also made me more excited to go.
 |
| The giant cow at the Houston Airport |
On the plane I sat next to some people from Spain and we spoke in Castellano. At that moment I realized my days of speaking English were over (at least for this year). From then on, I would be speaking mostly Castellano (Spanish) and Catalan. The flight was from 5:30 Atlanta time to 8:30 Barcelona time. Not being able to sleep I watched movies the whole way to pass the time finding only 30 minutes of rest. Before I knew it I arrived in Barcelona! I was sitting by the window on the right side of the plane which was perfect because when we made our decent for landing, we flew over the water and I could see all of Barcelona! From the plane I saw the olympic torch from 1992, La Sagrada Familia, and some more famous places.
Customs was a breeze and to my surprise I didn't have to fill out any paperwork on the plane or in the airport. I got my passport stamped and then it was time to pick up my luggage and meet my host family in person! As soon as I walked out of the door we greeted each other and then headed home.
 |
| (Left to Right) Josep, Me, Judit, Susanna, y Jordina |
And now for the first day! On the ride home, I was able to see my level of spanish again. Its amazing how many words I know but also how many I don't. When they speak slowly all is good as I can usually get the idea of what is being said. I'm sure that I'll be speaking Castellano without a problem very soon! I then had my first spanish breakfast when we got home. It was much different than the states but I liked it. I then went up to my room and unpacked everything while my sisters took a nap and my parents were doing something downstairs. I finished quicker than I thought and then took a shower. I came downstairs and my parents and I went over the first night questions from Rotary which ask everything you imagine to avoid future conflicts that could be easily prevented.
As we finished up, my sisters came downstairs and we all ate lunch. We had a meal called arroz a la cubana which was really good. So far everything that I've had has been great! After lunch, we all went into the living room and watched a show while I tried to fight the effects of jet lag. It was 9 AM Texas time but only 4 local time. I tried to stay awake but ended up falling asleep for about 30 minutes. I woke up and the show was about to be finished then I went on a tour of the city. We walked through the city and visited my uncle's house where I met even more cousins, aunts, and uncles. I then saw the school I'll be going to. It's much smaller than I'm used to but I'm sure I'll like it. We went back home after that and It was time for me to watch my first Barça game in Spain. They played Málaga and of course won (can you tell I'm already a Barça fan). Then, after 28 hours without sleep, I went up to my room and passed within a minute.
 |
| The awesome sign on my door |
The next morning after I woke up about 10:30 and after breakfast, Jordina, her boyfriend (Toni) and I went to the City Hall here to get something to say I'm here for the year but we needed some other papers. Due to them speaking really quickly in Catalan I just stood there smiling like I understood everything. After that, we went to the grocery store. It reminded me of Whole Foods or H-E-B as there are the fresh meats, fish, and other fresh foods. In the back are all the fruits, breads, cereals, drinks, and everything else. We went back home for a bit before going to my grandmother's house for lunch. I tried Rabbit which was I liked! Of course in the states everyone squirms when they think of eating a rabbit but how can you go to Spain for a year without trying new things? We returned back home after lunch and had relaxed a bit more while I wrote most of this post.
Next, Jordina made crepes which were great just like everything else here. I then went with mom to meet my great grandma. She's a very happy person and they explained to me that if I'm sad, I can go talk to her and she will cheer me up. After meeting here I now know this is true. I then went to the store and picked up the food for dinner. This about brings me to the end of day two.
 |
| The Nutella here is so good |
I've had the best first two days and am sure that the rest of this week, as well as this year, will be amazing. Thanks to everyone who's given me thoughts and prayers on all of my travels and exchange. I'm here safe and am having/going to have a great year.
Adéu,
Reid
