Hola!

I’m so excited to go to Spain! My friends are throwing me a going away party at the Rogue hop farm and brewery in Independence. The party is going to be three days before I leave, so probably really emotional but I’m sure a good time. I know I’ll cry when I finally do have to say goodbye to my friends and especially my family. Not because I’m sad that I’m leaving, but because I’m going to miss them. Although, the whole point of this trip is for me to experience something new (in my case going to Europe for the first time,) make friends, and of course LEARN SPANISH! I’m excited to meet the rest of the students in the AHA program and to meet my host family. So far, I know that the mother is a widow who has three daughters and a cat. One of the daughters still lives at home because it is customary in Spain to live at home until one gets married.

Before I head to Spain, I will be going to Holland for four days. Why you might ask? Because I am going to go visit some very dear family friends of ours named Martijn and Patricia. Martijn was my grandparents’ exchange student back in 1989. Upon his stay in the U.S. he became very close with our family and ever since he graduated high school he and his long-time girlfriend Patricia have come back to visit us every few years! However, the peculiar thing is, is that no one in my family has every traveled to Holland to visit them! I am going to be the first one! I have already sent Martijn a list of interesting places I’d like to see. Once I get over there it will depend on he and Patricia’s work schedule, but, if I know Martijn, he’ll show me a great time! I also recently received an email from him asking me to please bring some of my grandma’s WORLD FAMOUS cookies and also I duck antenna topper for the Mini Cooper they just bought! Naturally those two item will be in my carry-on bag for safe keeping.

My plan is to fly to Amsterdam, visit Martijn and Patricia, fly to Barcelona and have a seven hour layover (yuck,) and finally fly to Oviedo!

Ciao for now!