Student Takeover: Host Family Sunday!

One of our most motivated students Eleni Karkaetedes shared and wrote this blog about her experience on host family day.

My Day with my Mallorquin Family.

“It’s the one day you’re allowed to sleep in,” is something you might hear the Program Leaders say, but can you honestly stay asleep when you have a whole day of excitement and fun planned with your new, host family? Well, yes, but just until 9-10ish which is better than America, honestly. Me, my roommate Ava, Ana, my host mom, and Emma, my host sister, woke up generally at the same time. We all had breakfast at 10:30, and we were out of the house by 11:30 to start our long and exciting day! We met up with Pedro, my host mom’s friend, and his granddaughter Maria, who is the most adorable child I have ever met. We had Emma translate all of our conversations, and we talked the whole way to the beach. Through the mountains and the zig-zagged roads, we finally made it to Port de’s Canonge, a beautiful beach in between the mountains. We arrived at the busy beach merging in with the Mallorcan natives, well at least we tried. We couldn’t speak Mallorquin! We spent the next couple of hours in and out of the water, observing the nature of the beach and its surroundings. Watching the fish swim by beneath your feet can actually be extremely exhilarating. (Along with knowing that if you snorkel you will at least be able to identify one organism you find.) At around 4-4:30, we collectively left as a family, driving the 30 minutes it takes to get home to start making the best and only paella I have ever seen. It incorporated chicken, oysters, shrimp, rice, and many other vegetables which filled us up to the point where we were about to explode. But there comes a beauty with eating that much, a much-needed siesta, which we all took advantage of. After which we woke up later in the day and went home. It was one of the best days I could’ve had exploring Mallorca with my host family, who not only introduced me to their culture and language but also welcomed me into their home!