Mi Familia

I absolutely love my family here in Spain! They are the main reason I wanted to return to Spain in the first place. My family has hosted for 6 years. They have different students three times a year. I stayed with them the summer of 2008 and I had a wonderful time and chose to live with them again for the spring 2009 semester. My Spanish family consists of my host mother (Teresa), father (Manuel) and two host sisters( Marie and Rocio). I am constantly amazed at their generosity. They open their homes and hearts and trust that we will do the same. My host mother in particular is so joyful and full of life and she is always willing to help me with homework, directions, or anything I am confused about. When I am traveling by myself they always call and check in on me. Rocio is always inviting me to hang out with her and her friends. Everyone in my host family is always making sure we are included and feel like a part of the family. My favorite people to talk to are host grandmother and Teresa’s granddaughter Maria. The grandmother is eighty years old and has a lot of stories to tell. While Maria is two so I get to see what life is like for Spanish children. Maria is learning how to speak and I imagine the ways she talks sounds just like me when I am trying to grasp on to a new concept. Extended family is very important in Spanish culture and through my family I have had great opportunities to observe the relationships central in their lives. My host family has been like a second family and I will be very sad when I have to leave them.