The First Days...

This is a view of Toledo.....on a foggy day.
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Hello all! I arrived safe and sound in Madrid a couple days ago, and took a bus to Toledo where we toured the school, which is only one very tall building (quite the opposite of Minnesota!) I walked around Toledo a little bit as well. Toledo is gorgeous; the streets in the center of the city are very narrow and cobblestone, there are shops, restaurants, and bars everywhere you look. The city is surrounded by a river, and very hilly.

My host family is fabulous! My Mama is very outgoing, and very funny. My Papa’s sister-in-law is also hosting a student at the Fundacion (the University) named Carlyn. My mama and Carlyn’s mama picked us up together, and live very close to each other in a small neighborhood outside of Toledo called Poligano. So Carlen and I will be taking the bus together often to get to the Fundacion, and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of each other based on the friendship of our mamas, which is really nice!

This is the Catedral in Toledo.
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My papa seems very nice, but his accent is strong and I have trouble understanding him. He is quite the singer. He sings on the top of his lungs all day long; it’s pretty funny. I figure that’s just a part of the culture! I also have a sister and a brother, Gema (15) and Roberto (6). I think having Roberto around will actually help me a lot, because he likes to hang around talk my ears off! He’s quite a character; he dances around, he likes dirt bikes (his room is covered with dirt bike posters), and he is full of questions. Gema seems very sweet, and she is helpful too. I am the 4^th Fundacion student that has stayed with the Navarros (my family), so they are quite experienced with having a new member in the house, and they are very patient. I think it will work out great!

Another view of the Catedral.
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We start classes tomorrow, so I will keep everyone updated on how that goes. Thanks for checking in!