Regarding stereotypes

Sometimes stereotypes exist for a reason. Proof: so far in Spain, I have eaten paella, tortilla, and gazpacho. I have been here for 29 hours. However, my family also served roasted chicken and instant mashed potatoes (that I think they called pudding?). I also now understand why the siesta exists in Spain: their "lunch" is so big that you can't actually function afterwards. A note to Spanish teachers: banana and plátano are not regional words; they are different fruits. This was explained to me by my host father, who also assured me that plátanos are much better and I will never want to go back. Word of the day: picos, or little cracker things that they eat along with meals.
Now, let's talk about the weather!

Ahora voy a descansar, hasta luego!

A whole new world

They always tell you that the second you step on a plane, your "pre-exchange" life is over and you have become a new person. I never really got that, because I figure change has to happen gradually and painfully. However, 24 hours ago I had never chatted with an old Spanish lady on a plane (who spoke so quietly I couldn't understand her); I had never eaten paella while my family spoke in rapid-fire Andalusian accents around me. There's no point in being frustrated about my language ability, because I'm here to learn so all the silly mistakes I make are "learning experiences."
Sevilla is stunning (and humid) - we took the long way home from the airport to show me the city. After siesta we're going to bike to the center of the city so I can learn my way around. Tomorrow, Javier is taking me to see my school and crew starts!
Enough English for now. ¡Hasta pronto!

The Road goes ever on and on

I leave today in a few hours. Everything (hopefully) is packed, and I am completely ready to go. In less than 24 hours I will be with my host family in Sevilla, surrounded by 100% Spanish. This is somewhat terrifying, but I know that in a year I'll look back on my language skills and be amazed by how much they have improved. I just want to say thank you to everyone who has helped me to make this journey happen and say goodbye to everyone before I leave! Hasta luego, que tengan un buen año!

"The Road goes ever on and on

 Down from the door where it began.

 Now far ahead the Road has gone,

 And I must follow, if I can, 

 Pursuing it with eager feet,

 Until it joins some larger way

 Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say." 

 ~J.R.R. Tolkien 

And the number shall be three

     I have three days left until I fly to Sevilla. Whenever people ask me if it feels "real yet," they're usually referring to this moment of realization that I am actually going to Spain for a year. Honestly, in the two years that I've spent scheming to become part of RYE, it has never felt quite as real as right now. In the corner of my room there is a massive, half-filled suitcase that represents the current state of my life: hectic and disorganized, with one foot in Europe and one in North America. Tomorrow (hopefully), I'll dump it out and repack with a little more precision to get on a flight at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday from Boston. I arrive in Madrid on Sunday morning with a short layover before an hour flight to Sevilla, where my host family will meet me. Three days left...

     It feels like I haven't even had a summer between a summer gym class, American Literature online, and various preparations for my departure. Suddenly everyone else is back in school, marching band, and soccer without me; this is an experience that I honestly cannot describe. I'm eager to leave, nervous about arriving, sad to leave my family and friends, and tired because it's hard sleeping when you're this excited. I am the last from District 7870 to leave, so every day I see pictures from Chile, Germany, India, Bosnia, and other countries on Facebook from my friends.

     A week and a half ago, my wonderful sister Hilary along with my friends Corinne and Michaela threw me a surprise going away party. Our house is still decked out with red and yellow streamers, but we finished the amazing whipped cream marble cake right away.

     On Monday night the Miller family headed up to Pine Point for a going away Spanish themed tapas party for my cousin (studying in Madrid for the semester), my sister (teaching in Tudela for a year), and me (studying in Sevilla for a year). We're about as spread out as you can be while still being in the same country, which will let us have our own independent experiences! All three of us researched, applied for, and were accepted to our different programs without really planning it together. The Millers and Mancinis are invading Spain this year. Pictured is my home in Sevilla, Ryan's in Madrid, and Hilary's in Tudela:

     Tomorrow night, Thursday September 5, I'm presenting to the Timberlane School Board about Rotary and my exchange, hopefully spreading awareness about this amazing program and its global impact. It's amazing to have an opportunity like this at my age and I believe that the youth exchange really does change the world. RYE is not comparable to other "study abroad" programs for thousands of reasons, among which are the global network of contacts, the young age of its participants, the focus on ambassadorship, and the amazing people that are involved as counselors, officers, and host families. I have not yet left for Spain and RYE has already completely changed who I am as a person in this past year: I am more confident, more capable, and more mature than the girl who, last September, applied to go to Spain. Rotary treats its teenagers like adults who are capable of having opinions, making decisions, speaking for themselves, and taking care of themselves. The only way to grow in the way that I have (and will next year) is to be out of your comfort zone, meeting people from all over the country and world, and pushing yourself. With this believe comes a shameless urging to anyone reading this who is considering a study abroad, whether in college or through Rotary: do it. Rarely can I say as confidently as I do now that exchange is not something you regret because even the "bad" experiences are still worth it.

     There are presentations to be prepared, tests to be taken, and bags to be packed so I will try to write once I get to Spain! ¡Hasta luego! 

¡Aviso de tres meses!

"Lo malo no es que los sevillanos piensen que tiene la ciudad más bonita del mundo...lo peor es que puede que tengan hasta razón."

--Antonio Gala

     ¡Hola a todos! Hace casi seis meses que no he publicado en este blog pero por fin lo hago: este aviso de tres meses. El enero supe en cual país iba a vivir pero no recibí ningún contacto de mi familia anfitriona hasta abril. Pasaré el año que viene en la ciudad fantástica de Sevilla, España.

 

     Sevilla cuenta con 700.000 personas (1,5 millón en el área metropolitana) y es la cuarta más grande en España. Está ubicada en el suroeste de Andalucía y es conocida como una de las ciudades más hermosas de Europa. Mi hogar nuevo es famoso por algunas cosas: el enterramiento  de Cristóbal Colón, la impresionante Giralda, los toros y el flamenco de Andalucía, y su Feria de Abril que dura ocho días. Tengo una madre, un padre, una hermana y un hermano anfitriones pero mi hermano vivirá en otro país el año que viene. ¡Espero con ansia conocer a mi familia y Sevilla!

     Estudiaré en el segundo bachillerato, como el año “senior” de EEUU. Mi familia anfitriona también ha mencionado que pueda hacer el remo u otro deporte y que es popular con las hijas de sus amigos. ¡Viviré muy cerca del estadio de Real Betis y espero asistir muchos partidos!

     No me parece posible que en menos que tres meses, subiré un avión y volaré a Madrid, y entonces a Sevilla, y me despediré de los Estados Unidos por todo el año. Me acerca el día de irme y tengo mucho miedo pero también estoy emocionada. Este es la realidad de ser un Intercambiador, ¡y más que todo tengo ganas de empezar!

Besos,

Meg

Three month warning!

"The bad part is not that the sevillanos think that they have the most beautiful city in the world... the worst is that they might be right."

 --Antonio Gala

     Hello all! It’s been about six months since my last post but I finally got around to this: my three month warning. I received my country assignment in January but didn’t hear from my host family until about a month ago. I will be spending next year in the amazing city of Sevilla, Spain!

     Sevilla has a population of about 700,000 people (1.5 million metropolitan) and is the fourth largest in Spain. Located in southwest Spain in the autonomous community of Andalucía, it is known as one of the most beautiful cities of Europe. I'm about an hour and a half from the coast and less than five hours from Madrid. My new home is famous for a few things: the burial place of Christopher Columbus, the striking Giralda tower, staples of Andalucía like flamenco and bulls, and its Feria de Abril week-long celebration.  I have a host mom, dad, sister and a brother who will be abroad next year. I look forward to getting to know them and Sevilla!

     I will be studying at the second level of Bachillerato, the Spanish equivalent of a senior year. My host family has also mentioned me possibly joining crew or another sport and that it’s very popular among their friends’ daughters. I will be living very near to the Real Betis stadium so hopefully I’ll be able to attend lots of games!

     It’s very surreal that in less than three months, I will be getting on a plane alone and flying to Madrid, then heading to Sevilla, and saying goodbye to the United States for a whole year. As it gets closer, I’m terrified and excited at the same time but that’s basically exchange in a nutshell. Mostly, I just can’t wait to get started!

Besos,

Meg

 

¿Qué es el programa de Intercambio de los Jóvenes?

Del sitio web de la Fundación Rotaria Internacional:

“¿Qué necesita para cambiar el mundo? Un millón 200 mil rotarios creen que se debe comenzar por el compromiso de "Dar de Sí antes de Pensar en Sí".

Cada año los clubes rotarios patrocinan que unos estudiantes como yo viajen a otro país y que vivan allí por diez meses totalmente inmersos en la cultura. Supe ayer que pasaré el año penúltimo del colegio en España viviendo con tres familias anfitrionas y sirviendo como embajador de EEUU. Cuando les digo a otras personas mis planes, que me iré en agosto y pasar diez meses separada de mis amigos, mi escuela y mi familia, me dicen, “¿Por qué? Estás loca?” y entonces es difícil contestar. Una contesta normal de un Intercambiador es, “Por qué no?” pero nunca están contentos. La Fundación Rotaria trata de describir los beneficios del intercambio:

• Servirás en calidad de embajador cultural del país y la comunidad.
• Te sumergirás en una cultura distinta mientras te adaptas a un nuevo estilo de vida.
• Forjarás amistades duraderas, no sólo con personas del país anfitrión pero con otros estudiantes del mundo entero.
• Aprenderás sobre los principios y logros de otros pueblos.
• Regresarás a tu país con una perspectiva más amplia del mundo y mayor aprecio de tu cultura y autoestima.
• Asumirás funciones de liderazgo gracias a las destrezas adquiridas durante el intercambio.
• Tendrás recuerdos que durarán toda una vida.

Hay que ser una convicción muy fuerte que nunca me he parado en el año y media que he buscado un club patrocinador, he hecho las entrevistas y aplicaciones y nunca sabía que sería en el año que viene. Creo que hay estereotipos e ideas equivocadas de otras culturas que separan nuestro mundo y no dejan que jamás los países se acepten. Es fácil decir algo como esto pero solo es posible mejorar el mundo si alguien – como yo o ustedes – decida cambiarlo. Acciones como viajar, hablar y compartir – quién somos, qué creemos y por qué no somos tan diferentes – hacen el progreso. Si puedo convencer a una persona que no todos los americanos tienen armas, asisten los rodeos o hacen ruido, este intercambio habrá hecho una diferencia en el mundo. Sé que RYE me cambiará irrevocable pero también creo que seré mejor. Un libro preferido de mí, El Alquimista por Paulo Cuelho describe el viaje de un pastor de Andalucía que intenta encontrar su destino pero también describe el efecto de una persona con un sueño en el mundo:

“Cuando nos esforzamos por ser mejores de lo que somos, todo a nuestro alrededor se vuelve mejor, también.”

Empiezo este blog ahora para que tenga una crónica escrita de los meses antes de y durante mi intercambio a España y para que pueda compartir mis experiencias (y muchas fotos) con alguien interesado. También pienso en traducir o escribir unas entradas en español para que tenga algo para recordar cuando me mejore la comprensión.
¡Así empieza!