friends?

MONDAY

Well on monday all of the rotary exchange students, host parents, and councelors got together at one of the families house so we could all meet and just talk about rules and our next host families and so on...it was great and made me feel so happy to finally meet friends my own age who are doing the same thing I am. All of the kids are very nice and i am feeling much more comfortable saying this will be a good year.

TUESDAY

At 1130 i had a meeting at my new school ( instead of the reformatus i will be attending an art school) me and Saulo a boy from brasil will both be going to the art school as 5th year students so we have all art classes. sounds good to me!!!!!
I had a meeting at the imigration office to turn in mz visa application  and from what i know it went very well!

At night I attended my first hungarian rotary meeting and it was much different than mine in grand haven but it went well.

maggie

The wedding

This weekend my family took me to a wedding on lake balaton. We left saturday morning and arrived to Balaton about noon. We walked around saw a beautiful church and had a wonderful lunch at a restaurant overlooking the lake:) after lunch we went a little further around the lake to the place we were staying it was about a block up from the water so after we said hello to everyone we went down and took a dip in the lake, I must say fir the first time I was glowing of happiness to be back by the water again I almost forgot I was in this foreign place. Since I have had a somewhat hard first week feeling like I was at home was the only thing I wanted. We only had time for a quick swim because we all had to shower before the wedding. I accidently didn't take any pictures but in my head remember everything quite vividly. The wedding was below a event hall in a cellar and was very similar to an American wedding. But the feel in the cellar was wonderful:) after the wedding we went outside and up the stair to the place of the reception and that as well was much like an American wedding. There was lots and lots of wonderful food and my place was next to a niece of my host parents who spent last year in long island new York. Her and I chatted almost the entire reception about her experience and what I should expect here. Talking to her made me feel much more at ease and she reassured me things would get much better. She is the same age as me and I think will be a great friend to have this year. The wedding was wonderful and at about 1:30 we headed back to the hotel and I just crashed and for the first time since I have been here indidnt cry myself to sleep. I'm not sure if it was the encouraging conversation I was having all night, the fact that I was so tired, or the fact That I was I. My comfort zone of speaking english for 5 hours straight. I don't really care what it was i just know it was a good night. Don't get me wrong there isn't annhour that goes by that I don't think about wanting to be home but I am seeing that everyday for the most part it is getting easier and easier:)

Yesterday we spent the day at the other side of the lake but it wa a bit chilly but we had a nice day and again I felt very at home hearing the waves and being in the water.

Last night I had a little panic attack and was missing home very much. While talking to my mom she asked my host mom to try and take me to a doctor so when I do get a panic attack during this stressful time I will have a medication to ease the situation. Dori the family member who was in new York had homesickness while she was away and took a natural medication that worked for her. So last night they offered for us to come get it so I can take it. I took it last night and we will see how it works:) this homesickness thing us very new to me I have been away for long periods of time.. Not a year ever but I have never felt anything like this before so it's an adjusting time for me and hopefully with school starting on Thursday and tonight I will meet all of the other exchange students I will start to not feel as homesick:)

Overall I am enjoying myself here... Even though I am struggling to be away from home:)

Maggie:)

Things get better

Yesterday we went to the shopping mall and I was more interested in people watching and didn't really care to look at any clothes. I was trying to see how people my age dress and it seems to be very much like the US where kids wear such a wide range of clothing. So I guess I will have to wait for school to start to see what most kids in my school wear:)

Since I have been here I have eaten 3 square meals everyday made by mom or grandma. I do not remember the last time that for a week straight my family has had every meal together so that is something i enjoy saying. I still haven't met any kids my age:) life is good here and most days my host sister and I spend a good amount of time practicing Hungarian.

This morning I woke up to Skype -Michael and that was a great start to my day. Directly following my Skype session zora(mom) sister and I practiced taking the bus to my school. I have to be good at it because if I were to get lost I don't know how to speak to ask for help:) my school is beautiful and I heard I will get a student to bring me around the first day who speaks English well!

Did I mention it is 100+ degrees here?!?!?

Today was a 100% increase in my happiness here in Hungary. I understand simple questions (some of the time) and my family just seems to get better and better. My host mothers parents live in the house and speak about 4 words of English. It is usually silent between them and I just because we can't speak to one another and my host mom and dad are constantly translating their questions for me and TODAY grandpa (papa) asked me how old I was in Hungarian and I knew how to reply which doesn't seem to exciting but it was the first step in the right direction.

Well my ADD has kicked in and I'm done for the day:)

Maggie

Day 2 and 3

Home is defiantly where the heart is...I miss it very much. I could not be having a better time here with my family but I love my home and these last few days have been struggle.

Though I have about the vocabulary of a dog my Hungarian is improving. Just today I bought a book that is called something like Hungarian to get by... I qam struggling with the language as well. Me who is usually very chatty finds myself very quiet because well I dontunderstand most of what is being said.

I am usually a tag a long eith mom and go around the town and so far I have been to two different schools I have seen a Hungarian library hospital and many groceries and todaywewent to a water park!!! The food here is wonderful I will be gaining very much weight:)

Well I should go to bed I wil blog again soon!!!

Maggie

First day....

My first steps off the plane iwas greeted by my happy family and we all had grins ear to ear. We toured around Budapest all day and I saw a lot. We had a great little breakfast at a cafe on the street which Was for me perfect. After breakfast we did things all tourists do (see facebook for photos) after our full day of sightseeing we came home I unpacked everything put out some pictures that brought a few tears just because it was the reality I will not see my best friends, family member fora whole year. We went out for a very nice dinner where I tried the first food iwas a little scared to try. Goose liver fat it ended up tasting good but the word goose liver was a little scary:) my first day was wonderful. My family is amazing and I'm surei will have an amazing year!! Yesterday was amazing until about 10pm when I just broke down crying. I left a lot behind at home and I will not lie and say it is easy to leave everything. I had a rough hour but talked to my mom, michaeland hailey and finally was at peace and fell asleep. I woke up this morning and it's a beautiful sunny day and I can't wait to get out and enjoy it so..that's all for now

Maggie:)

Wow

The journey 

Well as I am just arriving in Budapest I have had a very long  few days starting thursday with a goodbye party which was wonderful (thanks to everyone who came) I have a wonderful life in grand haven and I already can't wait to come home:) this year will be hard for me because I love my grand haven life but I don't imagine the little town disappearing  in the next Ten and a half months. Friday I had some close friends over and spent my last hours with them and then Saturday I woke up and went to the airport and said goodbye to all of the people who had to be the last group of people to see me!!  My flight from Chicago to Frankfurt was nice I watched a movie..slept...and chatted with the boy sitting next to me who's family just moved to the USA. Flight from Frankfurt ti Budapest was a short one and I had a row of seats to myself so I wrote this blog and napped:) I forgot to mention in the Frankfurt airport went into a bathroom which I thought had a woman's sign on the outside but apparently they do the boys/girls bathroom all in one but the man standing in the stall when I walked in was the first of many weird situations I will encounter. I have been randomly crying on and off since Friday night. It isn't that I am unhappy it's just a huge life adjustment and I eventually get into the swing of things and everyone's life will be good:):):)

Well I will blog tomorrow about how the first 30some hours went

Maggie:)

6 days...

Well this past weekend (my last weekend in the United States) My mom, Dave, Michael and  I took a trip down to chicago. We went to Ikea and went back to the hotel and the next morning continued our journey about an hour and a half more..and arrived at the home where reka who is the daughter of my first host family in Hungary. She was very nice and calmed my nerves a little more. Her english was perfect and she had nothing negative to say about Hungary or the United States. She just arrived here this past thursday so everything here is very new to her. Anyways it is my last week and life is great:)

yikes

With a week or so left in good ol' Grand Haven, MI I am busier than ever..which I thought I couldn't get any busier.
 Starting about a week ago we have been eating at my favorite restaurants, having my favorite dinners every night. So far it has been The Station, Fricanos, mom made tacos at home and tonight is Mongolian bbq:)

I could not be any worse at saying goodbye. I have said goodbye to my sister (in July) that actually went well it was kind of weird because I felt like we acted like we would see each other in about two hours. Last Monday was my last day working at the Grand and for the first time I cried when saying goodbye to oddly enough people I have only known for about a year. The Brinks are a very nice couple who I see every week and get a little worried when they don't walk in the door at 5 pm. We chat every week about what has happened in my life and and about me leaving but I never thought our relationship was one where I would literally start balling. Moral of the story is...I sense that  I will be crying a lot in this next week!

I am very excited yet very nervous...I will tell you it is the weirdest feeling because I want to go but I would be perfectly ok with skipping all the goodbyes and the plane ride :) Did i mention I don't actually have a departure date yet. That is what makes me most nervous because I cant really plan anything because who knows I might already be gone. I am a day/ hour countdown person and well with this I have not been able to.

Well...life isn't to exciting yet but when it is I will be sure to let everyone know.

I am going to visit my host families daughter south of chicago this weekend (she arrives today from Hungary and she will be spending the year in the U.S. I am very excited for that just because its my first glimpse of what the next year of my life is going to be like. My family seems to be amazing and excited to have me so I really am looking forward to leaving.

BYE!:)