February Has Changed My Mood

So just a week ago I was basically in this rut, to the point where I didn't even want to get out of bed and considered skipping school daily. Well, I am happy to say I have jumped out of that rut and I am in a much better place. I'm not really sure how an attitude can change so much within 7 days, I would like to say I made it but I know that is not 100 percent true. For getting me out of my rut I have many people and things to thank.
1. I have had yet another Spanish outburst (those always help my mood) This one was beginning to understand and tell jokes in Spanish. My friends honestly noticed this before I did because our first day back at school they were joking about something, and for the first time I didn't just sit there like and idiot instead I busted up laughing and this surprised them  their reaction, "Allison you can understand everything we say now?!?!" and I just kind of laughed and said yes.
2. I have been doing more things with the other exchange students.

• I went to the mall one day after school with A German girl, Anna, who lives near me and a German boy, Valentin, who was visiting from another city. It was a really fun time but even though we started our time in Spanish somehow we did end up speaking English.
• On Saturday 4 other exchange students and I went with the Co-chairman (she is in charge of the exchange students in this State), Juanita, and her mom to learn how to make TAMALES! It's a lot of work but they were so good and it was such a fun way to spend my day.
• This Friday we will have an international dinner at my Co-chairman's house and we (the exchange students of this state) are all going to bring food from our countries (USA, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Taiwan, and Japan) it should be a lot of fun

3. I have lost weight: Due to the fact that my new host family is Vegetarian, I have lost 8 pounds in a little over 2 weeks and although it isn't much I feel a lot happier.

4. I found out who the new outbound exchange students going to Mexico from my district in the USA (D5100) are so now I get to mentor them and tell them all the exciting things about Mexico, and they are all really great people so I am really excited to watch their journey. Congratulations to Jordan Lancaster, Lily Gallagher, and Devin Long! I am so excited to talk with you guys more! 

5. I found out I might get to have a third host family after all which is really exciting for me even though I like my current host family.
6. I recovered some pictures from my trip I took to the center of Mexico in December when I thought I had lost them all

So there's a little update on my life and getting out of my rut. Talk to you all soon!!

Besos y Abrazos,

Allison

January Was A Blur

January came and went slowly and quietly, almost without being noticed. How can a month in another country go by without something to say? I guess this is when you know your host country is now your home. You have gotten used to everything and may have found yourself in a rut. You understand the language so when people talk it's not as tiring to listen or difficult to respond. You start to use less of your home language and might actually make a comment to your mom in skype in Spanish and she may start laughing at you. The somewhat bumpy roads and crazy driving don't face you anymore, and you begin to think how foreign everything back home will feel when you go back.


January has touched far into my intellectual side. I seem to always be in some deep thought. This is the affect of having 2 weeks alone. My first week in January I did not have school and I was packing to switch families. At this time in my exchange I was having trouble coping that switching families meant I was halfway through this book of my exchange and I still didn't feel like I had control. I made a promise to myself; I would stop surfing between friends groups in school and stick more with one group to have the best friends effect I wanted, I cut myself off from English use unless I was skyping, I was going to see the best of every situation. The second week of January I had school and then all of the other exchange students left on a trip but I did not go so I stayed home, meanwhile school was on break so I really had nothing to do. This nothing to do was in a way quite relaxing but my host parents found it quite stressful. About 5 days into the break I got sick (dizziness, nausea, fever, etc.) and that lasted until yesterday. While I was sick I basically was on bed rest and it was just me. This was  the longest week and a half of my exchange. I was always thinking, "what college will I go to", "will I study abroad in college", "how will I graduate on time", "when am I going to book my ticket to come home from exchange", "I should work out for softball", "maybe I should cut my hair", "maybe I should google my symptoms", "oh no that says I could have malaria", "I should go to the doctor", "oh good it's not malaria", "ugh strep throat is the worst", "if I go home in June I can't do the graduation here or have my actual birthday here", the thoughts went on and on. After getting sick my host dad insisted we get out of the house so we went to his Mom's house. Today we will go to a super bowl party.


I am very happy to have said goodbye to January. I am hoping that February proves itself to be more eventful, and maybe I will decide if I am coming home in June or July.