My Other Family

I figured since I go home in a couple of days, now would be a good time to write about my family from Spain. I couldn't have asked for a better family while here. They have truly made my experience memorable. I became just another member of the family...another daughter for them (that makes 4 girls and 1 boy) and a sister. In turn I consider them part of my extended family. I love them all and will forever. I have an open invitation to come and visit any time I like and I have said the same for them. Anytime I come back to Europe for my travels I will definitely come to visit them. I know we will always be a part of each others' lives. The parents, Eva and Franscess, are amazing. Eva is a great Mom and always included me in everything. She is also a wonderful cook. She loves learning Enlglish and has been speaking it since she was in high school. She is very proficient in the language. There have been times when we don't undrstand each other, but the spanish/english dictionary usually takes care of the problem. Franscess doesn't speak English, but that did not stop us from communicating with each other. We would find one work that the other knew and be able to figure out what the other was saying. There ways also some pointing involved. It always amused the rest of the family how we talked to one another. Marc, the oldest, is 20. He goes to Barcelona University. He loves futbol (which is quite typical here) and plays on a team. We only talked a little to each other because in the beginning he was shy and then later on he didn't want to speak in English. Even though he can understand and speak it a little, he hates languages. He much prefers to speak in Catalan which didn't offend me at all and I was ok with. It just made it difficult to get to know him well. Although, he frustrated his Mom becuase she couldn't understand why he wouldn't take advantage of speaking with me in English. Mireia is 17 and in her last year in high school. She takes her work very seriously and is always studying for some test. She is on a roller skating team which is very popular here. It's like ice skating, but on roller skates. She just came back from a world championship in Germany and placed 7th for individual which is very good for her first time. The group skating also just competing the world championship and the club placed 2nd for the first time...which is a very big deal. Cristina is next and she just turned 16. She is the most like me. We are both middle children and hate school...I can totally relate to her :) She fights with her younger sister like I fought with my younger sister...way too funny. She is also a skater. She also competed in the world championship and was in the same group as her sister. Skating practice takes up a lot of time. They sometimes have 2 practices in 1 night. In the summer I would cart them around and most days it would be 2 or 3 practices in 1 day. It is way intense! Anna, the youngest, is the little diva, but not in a bad way. She will be 14 next month. She is very much into being the comedian around the house and is alwyays trying to get a laugh out of everyone. She is always looking for attention at home, but in public she can be quite shy. She loves speaking in English and will be the best in the family because she started at a young age and likes learning it. She especially likes saying bad words becuase she doesn't really know the meaning and they are fun for her to say...even when I tell her not to say those words (which is why I think she does it). Her sport is tennis and she take piano lessions. The 3 girls definitely remind me of me and my sisters. Even some their characteristics are similar to ours. It was really crazy to witness...it was like seeing me and my sisters almost 10 years ago. I will definitely be sad to leave them all. However, knowing that I will come back one day soon makes it easier to leave. I look forward to seeing everyone when I return home. Less than 2 days!!