Where am I going to live?! (Clue: It's muy bella.)

Hello all! I have many a things to tell you! First of all, I officially have my passport! It came in the mail on March 14, and although I am all swollen in my picture (from surgery), I am very happy to finally have it. Secondly, I had Pella Outbound Training last weekend. It was a very long day of speakers, but I learned useful skills and had training that made it worth while (in addition, it was mandatory for all outbounds :)).


District 6000 Rotary Youth Exchange Class of 2011-2012

 Also, I had my J.E.T.S. yard sale fundraiser during spring break last week, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. It was a HUGE success; over $900 was raised!! THANK YOU so much to everyone who helped make this possible. I couldn't have done it without you. So now I am that much closer to Spain, and my plane ticket there. :)

Speaking of Spain . . . MY HOST MOM CALLED YESTERDAY!! Her name is Maria, but everyone calls her Paola. I will be living in Marbella, Spain! It's a city in Andalusia, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea, situated in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain (Thank you, Wikipedia). It has a population of about 124,332. Here's a map: (look in South Spain, I'm super close to Africa!)

I am so excited! Paola sent me an email today; here's some info from it :)

Marbella is on the Mediterranean sea but only a few miles to the Atlantic. Paola's husband is David, and their daughter is Carol. Carol has an older brother, David. Paola's house is 50 meters from the beach!!!!! I am already planning to run there every day :D Paola has a dog; it's a small Yorkshire Terrier and very friendly. They also have a cat. "His character is very much like a dog. Most of the time he follows us on our walks on the beach."

Talking to Paola made the experience of living in Spain next year seem so much more real! However, now I am trying to take in all that she said! 

Now if only departure time would come. It seems like most Spain kids leave in early September. I don't know the exact date I'll be boarding my plane, but I know I can't wait for it!

W a i t i n g . . .

Hello readers! A few noteworthy things have happened in the past week and a half since my last post. Last week, my family and I created "J.E.T.S.", Josie's Exchange To Spain. Throughout the next few months before my departure, J.E.T.S. will have various fundraisers to hopefully raise $4,000 for my plane ticket, among other costs. The first fundraiser is a HUGE yard sale in my church parking March 24-26. If you would like to help out, donations would be greatly appreciated :) More information about the yard sale can be found at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=166576346728700#!/event.php?eid=166576346728700. Also, if you want more information about "J.E.T.S.", a link to its Facebook page can be found near the bottom of the right column of this blog.

Last weekend was my first Rotary Meeting!! Woohoo! (Inbound and outbound students hang out together for a weekend doing various activities. Most of the times there are informational meetings, but this one was just for fun.) This Rotary Weekend happened to be optional, but I wanted to go, especially since I couldn't go to the January one due to my surgery. I met a ton of  people - inbounds, outbounds, and Rotex "rebounds" (people who have gone on exchange in years prior). We went swimming, saw the Mississippi on a bridge to nowhere, and ice skating. Although I couldn't go ice skating, I had a great time! Below is a group photo of the inbounds/outbounds that came :)



"Chinese smiles" by the Mississippi River



This week, I should receive my guarantee form by email!! It should have the city I'll be staying in, Rotary District, host families, and possibly school etc... I've been checking my email constantly for it!! Ahh, I can't wait to find out! This wait is killing me!