I'm sorry I didn't write a blog yesterday, I was super uber busy getting the house ready to have friends round, so I didn't have time to write a blog. So instead, I'm going to write a general blog for yesterday and today combined.
The reason this blog is called 'International Friendships' is because I want to talk about the international friends I have, and how having friends from different countries can really broaden your horizons.
Currently I am very close friends with a girl who I met in September. She moved to my town from Italy to stay for 10 months; she goes to school here and everything, and it was all her own choice to do this.
Last night, I had a belated birthday gathering, which she came to, and it's getting towards the end of her time over here, so it did get a bit emotional. She has become really close with me and all my friends, and she doesn't want to leave us. I get the impression that she may even be better friends with us than she was with her friends back in Italy.
We're all going to miss her so much, as she has become such a big part of our lives. She is so bubbly, enthusiastic and energetic all the time, and although it seems tiring, she really brightens up everyone's day.
This summer me and 6 friends are going to stay for a week in her mountain house in Italy; so that should be exciting!
She is hoping to come back next year and actually live with one of our friends and her family, and I really hope she does because she enjoyed herself so much this year.
I think it's really good to be friends with someone who is from a different cultural background. My friend was fluent in English as well as Italian, but we were able to teach her words and phrases, and she taught us things in Italian as well.
Plus, it's good to be culturally aware, so you know what to expect from people if you visit different countries around the world.
My other international friends are Spanish, and I am taking part in a Spanish exchange again in just over a month.
I did it two years ago, and it was amazing. For 2 weeks I had a student live with me, and although it was awkward at first (due to the language barrier and the year age gap) we soon became very good friends; we're still in touch now.
After Tamara (my student) stayed with me, I went with my school the following October to visit her. I lived with her for a week, and it was a wonderful, if sometimes bizarre, experience. Her mother could not speak any English, so used hand gestures for everything, which was sometimes quite amusing! Haha!
She didn't live in mainland Spain- the school we exchanged with was an 'English' after school programme on the small island of La Gomera in the Canary Islands. The weather and surroundings were gorgeous, and I had such an amazing time.
La Gomera has recently suffered from some forest fires, which means the beautiful landscape I saw and enjoyed out there has been partially destroyed. This is shocking and sad, but it is still a wonderful place to visit. There isn't physically a lot to do, but if you want a relaxing holiday with not many people around, La Gomera is the place to go.
Although I am having another student this year, I am not going back to La Gomera. I really want to, but I am travelling a lot this year, and it just isn't feasible. Also, me and my best friend share a lot of memories of our first trip, so we want to go back together and visit everyone we had previously met.
Overall, having a student to stay might seem daunting, but it can really help you learn a language or inform you about a culture. You are giving them so much at the same time, showing them things they never thought they would see, and taking them to places they never thought they would go to. And, at the very least, you usually gain a good friendship out of it.
A lot of people only have friends abroad if a friend they knew at home has moved away, but it is also good to have actual foreign friends too- you can teach one another so much, and have great fun in the process.
If you want to make international friendships, I strongly suggest asking your school about any programmes they may run, or perhaps finding a pen pal. There are many sites that organise these things, including Postcrossing. This is less of a 'pen pal' exchange of letters, but more of receiving postcards from complete strangers all over the world. I did it for a while and I really liked it- it's especially good if you a) like collecting postcards and/or stamps and b) if you like getting things in the post. I don't do it at the moment as I find myself so busy and forgetful. I'd write a postcard but forget to send it for weeks, so I'm taking a break.
Postcrossing's site explains what they do way better than I can, so go there if you're interested: http://www.postcrossing.com/
I hope this blog has maybe inspired you to make some more connections with the world- it's a big place, and we are tiny in comparison, but the more of us that join together, the more important we can feel.
Bye for now!!
x x x x
