Moving (Second Edition)

I am currently borrowing the family computer, so this post will be short. My host dad forgot the network password.

I moved to my second host family on Monday. With all the switching, it was a bit stressful. Lucikly, I had met the family earlier and stayed overnight twice. I am very happy. The first few days felt strange and I had a mixture of emotions as I was trying to get used to a new environment. I now feel like I am beginning to figure out my place and I feel content. It will be a good three months.

-I live in a beautiful yellow house. I will have to take pictures shortly. My host mother clearly has a vision. The home is filled with white candles and plants with white blooms.

-My host mom decided that since I enjoy baking, we will have baking day every Tuesday.

-Every Wednesday, I am offically signed up for African dance class with my host mom from seven to eight pm. I will let you know how that goes.

-I have an eleven year old host sister and a fourteen year old host brother. It has been interesting to have younger host siblings. Soon, I will visit my host sister's Montessori school (A beautiful brick school a few houses away from where I live) and talk a bit with the students.

-School is going well. I have fewer gaps in my schedule. The administration doesn't know what to do with me, but I am figuring out how to make the most of my experience. My Swedish teacher decided to assign chapter books, and I have been surprised at my comprehension. I have checked out additional ones because I find I learn many more words and get exposed to more examples of Swedish grammar. Right now I am reading an abridged edition of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte in Swedish. I have the full English version, and when I have time, I will read that.

-I feel I am exposed to more Swedish both at school and within my host family now.The other day, a guest came into our musikal rehearsal. We had to introduce ourselves. After introducing myself, my Swedish classmates were surprised how far I have come. That was encouraging. At times I feel I should be better at Swedish by this point, but other times I feel surprised by how much I have learned in less than six months.

-I just returned from my host sister's handboll tournment. I wish I could have done handboll as a child.  It is a fun sport to watch and quite big in Sweden.

-I have an exciting couple of months. In two weeks, twenty-six exchange students are coming to my city to ski for the weekend. We have a ski slope here that is not huge, but substantial. In March, my classmates and I are performing our musikal. In April, I will be traveling twenty-two hours to Kiruna, which is only a few hundred kilometers from the arctic circle to visit the Ice Hotel and see more of Sweden with other exchange students. In May, I will be traveling to the South of France with my choir, and in June into July I will be going on a three week tour of Europe. I know time is going fast. Most days are wonderful, some days are a bit more of a challenge, but overall I am having a fabulous time.

The cheesecake I am making is finished, so I must go.

My new house.