Family Time

Ok I am still trying to work out the best way in which to approach this…
I think I will just pick a few highlights from the past week, and keep things easy…

Ok so I finally feel like everything is settling at this stage. We’re almost finished our third week here (which is scary to say the least), but I think I’ve found my feet – not that they were lost or anything, but you know how the saying goes..!
I had felt bad that I hadn’t had much time to spend with my host family since I arrived. I think that this is particularly a problem when there are small children in your house. It’s difficult to expect them to ‘bond’ with you when the only time they see you is when you’re stuffing your face with cereal before running out the door.
So I think this weekend has been a bit of a breakthrough for me in that regard. Lisa and Derek are members of Bethesda Country Club, where the kids are members of a swim team, and they go regularly. On Sunday, Lisa brought me with herself, Will & Laine, to the pool for a while. Getting to spend time with them was so nice, just being able to mess around with them in the pool, let them show me their tricks and stunts, let Laine beat me again (well that’s my story and I’m sticking to it)!
I’ve heard people say it before, but I always doubted them; that the Program isn’t just about the internships, it’s about all the other things you don’t even think about until you arrive. Take the Host Families, for example. It’s not until you live with a family and see all they do for you, that the true extent of their generosity and kindness hits you. The little things are the memories that stay with you. On Sunday morning, there was a little knock on my bedroom door. Laine arrived in with a blueberry muffin for me, having been to the grocery store with Lisa. These small gestures that may seem insignificant make us realize how lucky we are, and how good we have it.
Unfortunately I couldn’t make it to Will and Laine’s swim competitions this week, but I want to congratulate them both for doing so well, in particular Will, for coming FIRST PLACE!! I’m so proud, and cannot wait until I can go see them both in action!
So I want to take this opportunity to thank Lisa and Derek for opening up their home to me, and taking me under their wing. They've been so good to me, and want them to know how grateful I am to them [sometimes my hard front makes it difficult to see my true emotions ]