FINALLY!!

Hey, yo! So I tried posting this last night, but my internet wasn't wanting to work with me. What's important is that I have it up now! Enjoy.

After waiting for more than three months, I finally recieved a phone call today that my visa is ready!! Yes, you read that correctly! MY VISA IS READY! On Sunday, my mom and I are driving to Chicago and on Monday I will be picking up my visa from the consulate! YES!!

I already have my itinerary and my plane ticket has been purchased! Unless there are last-minute changes, I will depart on WEDNESDAY morning, October 5th, from Des Moines. From there I will go to Chicago, then to Madrid, and finally, to Malaga. In Malaga, it will be October 6th, 10:30 a.m. when I arrive. From there, it is about an hour drive to my home in Estepona.

So, for nearly a year now, I have been fundraising/working in order to raise enough funds to do youth exchange. The majority of the cost of RYE is the plane ticket, which is usually estimated to be $3,000 (The total cost of RYE is usually estimated to be $5,000). The reason it is so expensive is because it has to be open-ended, meaning you can return, basically, at anytime. So, you can imagine how happy I was when my plane ticket costed $2,191.37 USD! That's what I'm talking about! Roundtrip to Europe and back! Matthew's visa was also approved and he will be picking it up on Monday as well. I'm hoping we can fly together, but at this point I just don't know. I may be flying by myself otherwise, which is a little freaky. Manageable, but freaky. (Shout-out to Anna from Newton - Unaccompanied Minors, baby! Minus the Christmas part . . .)

Tonight was a home football game in good ol' Newtonia, so I went and was able to say hi/bye to many people. It was so strange thinking that I won't see most of them until next summer! So many crazy emotions, but I couldn't have asked for a better last-Friday-night-in-America-until-next-summer! I feel so blessed to have people I'm going to miss. I'm sure I'll be cramming in as much time as I can to spend with friends and family during the next few days.

Well, I don't know where I'll be typying my next post . . . Maybe in Iowa? Maybe in Spain? Or in an airport? Easy for you - all you have to do is read on!

Until later,

Josie

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!