So my mom came for a short visit at the end of January. It was a very sudden decision and she arrived just as suddenly.
On Tuesday January 15 I was talking with my mom about what I was up to and we lightly talked about the possibility of her coming to visit me, but it seemed impossible because the opportune time for her to visit was already upon us. It was the perfect time for her to visit because I was on holiday and she was in the exam period (she's a supply teacher, among other things). Fro our conversation my mom just asked me to look into the possibility of getting permission from my Rotary district here for her to come.
As well as talk with my host parents to see if they would be comfortable with my mom visiting me. My family is so wonderful that my host parents insisted that she stay with us in the house. I love them so much. When I look back on it, I think that they were crazy, who lets a strange Canadian girl live at your house for 6 months and then after knowing this girl for 10 days, allows her mom to visit her (which could make her home sick, among other things) and INSISTS that her mom stays with them as well? I can not express in words how much I love them and how crazy they are!
On Wednesday I asked my counselor if it would be possible for her to come as long as I filled out all the right paperwork. So then later that night I talked to my mom and said it was possible (but I thought it wouldn't be probable for such a short window of time). Well then.... my mom said "Jess, I found a great deal on a flight so I can come..." I was stunned for a moment or two, talked for a bit more then I started organizing the mountain of paperwork (last time I did the same paper work for my trip to London it took me 4 days.
On Thursday the paper work, calls and emails began and was sent off to get approved.
On Friday I called my counselor in the afternoon and he told me that he was in the middle of writing me a reply email to my request... annnnd he wouldn't tell me over the phone and at that time I was on my way to Maastricht for the rest of the afternoon.... great....the anticipation was killing me!
When I got home I checked my email and my request was approved, MY MOM WAS COMING!
Friday night I called my mom and told her the good news that night( her time) she bought her ticket for Tuesday January 22... one week from the first real discussion about my mom coming. (sounds like my application process to the program...like mother, like daughter???)
Over the course of the weekend I was on skype planing what we will be doing when my mom arrived. We were excited and my mom at moments had "panic attacks" because it was all happening so quickly. "Oh Jess, WHAT HAVE I DONE?!"
We had an amazing time. We took one big trip to Ypres for two days and then to Brussels for two day, as well as small day trips. I will have other post about each trip later.
Monday, 11 February 2013
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
A New Begining
A fresh start is exactly what I needed. If you've been following my blog you would know that things have been a little less then ideal with my first host family. If you haven't I suggest you do, I've been told I can be funny at times and that it's not a terrible blog, not to toot my own horn or anything... :)
ANYWAYS... Before changing families I was.... physically stressed and drained, but as the date of my family change approached I felt more and more excited. It was a strange sort of excitement. It started off as me being excited to move away, then it became an excited for a new adventure and surroundings, then finally about 3 days before I changed I began to feel the same (and yet different) as when I was starting my exchange, as if I WAS starting a second exchange.
From the moment I walked in the door I was never a guest (which is exactly what every exchange student needs in my opinion) I had sisters teasing me in a loving way, parents who wanted me to feel comfortable but was not afraid to ask me to do things.
In my second host family I have 3 younger sisters: Sara 16, Sofia 13, and Stephanie 10. Which is a very similar dynamic as in my own home: Me 17, Jacqui 16, Grace 15, and Jonah 11. I thought that it would be a change to have three little sisters with a bigger age gap between sibling (note: in my family: 17,16,15) however I found myself in practically the same enviroment as home; sisters fighting about clothes, teasing each other about our silly mistakes, sharing animated stories at dinner about everyone's day...
From day one I felt myself relax and no longer forcing myself to smile all the time but actually smiling all the time! (usually because some one was doing something silly :P )
My back yard
The surrounding country side
Stephanie
Sofia, me and Stephanie
ANYWAYS... Before changing families I was.... physically stressed and drained, but as the date of my family change approached I felt more and more excited. It was a strange sort of excitement. It started off as me being excited to move away, then it became an excited for a new adventure and surroundings, then finally about 3 days before I changed I began to feel the same (and yet different) as when I was starting my exchange, as if I WAS starting a second exchange.
From the moment I walked in the door I was never a guest (which is exactly what every exchange student needs in my opinion) I had sisters teasing me in a loving way, parents who wanted me to feel comfortable but was not afraid to ask me to do things.
In my second host family I have 3 younger sisters: Sara 16, Sofia 13, and Stephanie 10. Which is a very similar dynamic as in my own home: Me 17, Jacqui 16, Grace 15, and Jonah 11. I thought that it would be a change to have three little sisters with a bigger age gap between sibling (note: in my family: 17,16,15) however I found myself in practically the same enviroment as home; sisters fighting about clothes, teasing each other about our silly mistakes, sharing animated stories at dinner about everyone's day...
From day one I felt myself relax and no longer forcing myself to smile all the time but actually smiling all the time! (usually because some one was doing something silly :P )
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| View of my house from behind |
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