My host family

On Sunday the 8th of September I finally got picked up from the Atocha train station in Madrid (the main station) by my host parents! My fellow exchange students who go to Madrid got picked up too and the other ones went by train to their final destinations (Sevilla, Valencia, Alicante...). Everybody was very excited and nervous at the same time! I wasn't that nervous for a long time. Eventhough saying bye bye was hard, we were also excited because now the year finally gets to start!

My host family consists of four (and a half, with the cat) members, two parents and two children. But the son, Alvaro, is 20 and goes to university so he doesn't live home anymore.

The first impression I got from my house (and that is very important) was very pleasant. 

I live in municipality called Rivas-Vaciamadrid with about 80'000 inhabitants and only 15 minutes by car away from Madrid. It was initially built for the left party so there are lots of sports centers and parks and people here also recycle and invest lots of money in festivals and exhibitions. Three other kids from the Orientation Camp live in Rivas too - only 10 min by foot away.

                                         

(new) Home Sweet Home

                                          

          Elena, my 6-year old host sister, and Lucas

                                           

               Jose, my host father, prepared a wonderful welcome dinner!

Jamon iberico, maybe my favourite spanish dish

Orientation Camp

With the organization I am with - INTO- you have to attend a compulsory orientation camp in Madrid that lasts 8 days. It is about 40 kilometers away from the city on a big farm just beside the river El Jarama. In the orientation camp you get to meet all the kids that go with INTO to Spain for ten months.

The camp was very fun and I made lots of good friends. Actually a few other kids come to Madrid too. The camp is mainly to improve your spanish so you have lessons but you also do LOTS of other things like: canoeing, horse riding, sightseeing and actually milking a cow. We visited Madrid one day long and half a day Alcala de Henares (Miguel Cervantes', the guy who wrote Don Quijote, birthplace).

                                                            First photo in Spain!

 The Real Madrid Stadium .... Hala Madrid!

My first post!

Hello I'm Paul, and I'm part of an exchange program in Spain for ten months! Long time, huh?

Even though this blog is for my family, friends and other exchange students everybody else is very curious and that is also the main reason I am writing this blog in English.

This is my first blog ever and I kindly accept anykind of criticism, hints or questions. Of course I will try to answer all of them!

I hope you enjoy this blog and understand how an exchange year feels!