Finding a place in your family

          It is now Friday night, I have been in Peru for a week now, but with my host family for six days. Fitting in is a big problem for some people. When you go on vacation with someone it is very simple to fit in. You become a friend that they do everything with, and after that week you go your seperate ways and maybe see them at school every once and a while. Even when you are stay with a family for a month, like I did in Argentina last summer, you start to get attached, but in the end, when you leave, you just jump right back into your normal life and maybe contact them once or twice, but that soon fades. The big test is when you are living with the same family for ten months, and for some it is closer to eleven. You are not just a guest at their house who sometimes joins in on the activites of the family. You are part of the family. The kids are your siblings and the parents are your mom and dad. I remember two days ago when I was skyping my brother. I was introducing my family to him and when I got to my host father, he told my brother "Estoy la papa de tu hermano" (which means I am your brother's dad). Right then it hit me. They are not just the family who is taking care of me. They are my second family, and for this year, my primary family.

          My four year old sister here is my sister. She loves to play games with me and is always around me. I go to pick her up from school when I can, and when I walk around town with my family, she always wants to hold my hand. When your family goes out, don't sit in your room on your computer or ipod by yourself, join them. Go to the market with them. You eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner with them. If you are sick, don't call home and ask what to do (even though my parents would want to know when I am sick), ask your host mom or dad, they will want to help you. After all, didn't they volunteer to take care of you for the year?

          The first week or so is always the hardest time, but it is also the most important time. If you choose to isolate yourself during the beginning, you won't be able to find a place in your family later on. You need to work the hardest, and sometimes go out of your comfort zone, to join them in basically all of their family activities. This might seem nosy, but they will apreciate it when you ask to go shopping with them, and in the end, you will appreciate how enjoyable your new life is.