Not what I expected!

Have you ever lived in another country by yourself? Well I have and it completely changed my life in so many ways. I was 15 years old when I went to an exchange program as my birthday present; I was looking forward and very exited that I was going to live completely by myself for three months in Minnesota. I spend my whole year thinking of how it would be and wondering how much difference could be in MN from here, Guatemala. A lot came through my mind, when finally I got an email that was from my exchange program telling me that I had five siblings and that they were very excited to have me. I couldn’t wait more; I was so relieved that they were as much exited as I was.

When the day finally came it was a little hard saying good bye to my friends and family because it was the fist time that I ever traveled alone and for a long time, I just remember entering into the airport and seeing my family waving at me with a big smile in their face trying so hard no to cried. At the airplane there was so much going through my mind, I was sad because I was already missing my family, happy because my trip just started but also a little scared because there was no turning back. We arrived to MN and the whole group of the exchange program and I were very nervous, we went to pick up our luggage and then the supervisor told us that every family had a paper with our names on it, so we have to look for our names. I looked at the families with all the names in their hands and I just wanted to go home, I got really scared so I just star looking through my name. I saw a lot of my group meeting their new family and some how that calm me a little, when I finally saw my name at the end of the hall I just run to them very excited.  When I finally got to them, I saw a very tall family all with red hair; there was the mother and three girls, their hug was not as welcoming as I was expecting and that made me even more nervous. We hurried to the car because their house was not that close from the airport. Got to admit I imagine them a lot different but I was ready to tried make things work, on our way home I was dying to know more about them but they didn’t speak at all so I just set there awkwardly quiet.  The girl, that was my age, was Genevieve and she was very quiet, I wanted to talk to her but she didn’t even look at me, that was when I realize that something was wrong. We finally got to the house and it seemed very nice, but my family was not very exiting, they were kind of uncomfortable. They show me Genevieve’s room because I was going to stay there and the only thing that went through my mind was that she didn’t even like me. I really tried to look for the positive side of everything but I was so disappointing because I imagined them so different in my head. Next day, I went to school trying to get distracted and kind of excited because maybe there I was going to fit well. I went to Providence School, it was a really fancy and beautiful school I had started to make knew friends and everyone was helping me and being very friendly. I realize that Genevieve had no friends at all; she always sat alone reading something but never talked to anyone. I tried to approach to her but she just said a few words and kept reading, so I just left trying not to bother her. Even though in school I was doing great at home I felt really lonely and that depress me a lot because Genevieve was the older one and I had no one to talk. I got to bed really early because I had nothing else to do, sometimes crying wishing being home. I started to think that I didn’t want to spend this trip like this. It had been two weeks since I was there and I couldn’t stand it anymore. So in school the next morning I asked to go to the bathroom and called my mom, when I heard her voice I couldn’t stop crying I just told her the truth that I wasn’t happy and that I wanted to change families my mom tried to make me fell better and told me that she was going to talk to the administrator of the program to asked for a change. I know it was kind of selfish but I couldn’t stand it, they were just so much different from me that we couldn’t even have a long conversation; the ironic part was that they knew it too. At least a knew I tried my best to fit, but  their lifestyle was very different than mine that we didn´t conncet.

Lucky me, my older sister Cristi went to an exchange program when she was 15 too and her family had a girl that was my age so I went to stay with them. Sarah Dettinger was the girl my age and when I saw her when I got to my new home I knew we were going to be really good friends and made so happy and relieved that I finally got what I was waiting for. We were so a like that we had a very good time together, and I met her friends and got really well in my new school.  I spend my three months having a lot of fun with a family that was very happy to have me there, they took me to a lot of places and I knew I can count on them in everything. I still keep in touch with my family, Sarah and I tried to keep as closed as we can.

First impression always gives you not all the definition of a person but for sure it tells you something about them. I don’t regret anything of my trip because it showed me a lot, like being more independent, trusting myself more, my English and most important it taught me that everyone has their ways of living and that you can´t judge someone for the fist impression they gave you. You have to get to know them to be sure how people are.