First post!

So, I was planning on blogging my first post right before I left, but the excitement has built up too much, and I can't wait any longer-- so here's one now!

On Thursday, I found out who my host family is, and it sounds to me like they will be a great fit. They have five kids between the ages of 4 and 16 1/2-- three girls and two boys. I am already excited about the prospects of hanging out with so many kids (which I love to do anyway), feeding off their never-ending energy, and trying to understand them (more of a challenge!) Good thing laughter transcends all languages! They're on vacation now, and will be traveling to Belgium before I arrive. I'm glad they enjoy traveling (enough to do it with so many kids!) as much I do, so hopefully they have many helpful hints and good ideas for my travels while I'm there. I'm so excited, I can't wait to just be there-- wherever "there" is, I don't care... I just want to be abroad already!

In other news, my visa arrived home while I'm still here at Santa Clara. I hear the picture is a nice "deer in headlights" shot, and one of the worst photos I've ever taken. Can't wait to show that to everyone. I'm sure security always gets a kick out of horrible visa photos, and mine won't let them down...

I'm also tentatively planning a trip to visit my roommate from freshman year, Anna, who will be at St. Anne's College at Oxford in the fall. I don't know if we'll rendezvous in Oxford, London, Paris, or Nantes, but I want to see England, and Anna wants to practice her French she's been taking at both Santa Clara and Whitworth. Something to look forward to-- as if I wasn't excited enough!

Exactly three weeks until I'm done with this crazy summer Physics class, and 37 days until I'm officially abroad. I can't wait!!