What for my first exchange program?

My mother says that whatever great opportunity she gives to my older brother, she will give it to my on the same age that my brother was when he got the opportunity. My brother went on an exchange program when he was in fifth grade so I was going to get my exchange program opportunity when I was in fifth grade. In 2006, I was in fifth grade and finally I got the opportunity of becoming an exchange student. In March, my mother and I went to a big white house in La Reforma Avenue and talked to the directors of the exchange program called FAW (Friends around the World). They said I needed to give them my grades of last year and the ones of the first bimester of school of fifth grade.  My mother filled up a lot of papers about myself and about our family.

 In mid-March, I went to a meeting of FAW in the big white house just to talk with a psychologist (Vikki Soda), I was so nervous and worried because I thought she was going to ask me to do a test which I was going to fail and then I could not go in the exchange program, but she just talk to me about the exchange program rules and my attitudes. Vikki and I become good friends because I was a nice kid and kind. After the meeting with Vikki, my mother and I talk with Evelyn de la Fuente (one of the Guatemalan directors of FAW) about my opportunity of going to Minnesota. She said that I just need to attend to all the meetings and my mother should give her my passport and the papers filled up.  My mother and I went to our house and during the time of getting home, I told my mother that I was so happy of going. In another meeting I filled up a paper about my interests, leisure, my family, my best friend, my favorite class, my address and my future major. 

 While Vikki and another American searched for all the host families in Minnesota, I needed to get good grades on my classes. I studied hard and had a hard time doing my assignments because I got to my house at 4:30 p.m. when I did not go to a meeting or to the doctor, then play Xbox with my brother and at 8 o’clock we did our assignments. In June, FAW gave each participant a file about his or her family. In the parking lot of the big white house, I asked my mother what might my host family will ask me when I meet them and my mother said about your school and family. I started getting in touch with the Baker family but at the same time I was worried about the questions they might ask me. The Baker family is made up Terry (father), Annette (mother), Justin (son about my same age), Shelby (daughter about four years younger than Justin) and Kelsey (daughter about two years younger than Shelby).

I started sending e-mails to them because they did not have my e-mail. I had being doing great at school by getting good grades. In July, I started going with a psychologist once a week to help me with my worries of the exchange program and because she had a baby, I went to her house for the meeting. She helped me a lot and taught me that the Baker family was going to ask me the regular questions that a new friend asks you. On a different day, she talked with my mother about my progress. On our last meeting, she told me to have a great time in Minnesota.

On the third bimester, Miss Mariela told my mother that I might do the fourth bimester finals exams. In August, she told my mother that they will give me different exams on September and my mother said that is ok with us. I was leaving on September 16. On mid-August, Evelyn told my mother that on September 14 I was going to give an English speech to all the family participants. On September, I started packing my cloth for the trip to Minnesota but at the same time I needed to practice my speech and studied for mi final exams that I was going to take them on September 13-15.  On September 14, my family, FAW staff and all the other families of the participants went to church and after church; we all went to eat dinner in the Biltmore Hotel. After we ate dinner, the Evelyn told us about the organization for Saturday and I gave my speech. On Saturday, Evelyn, Evelyn’s daughter, Vikki, another American and forty kids counting me left to Minnesota and we arrived to the airport of Minnesota; I was the first one to meet my host family in person.