Food and Firsts

Happy October!

We are now two months into Silvia’s time with us and what a time it has been! We have travelled across three different states, gotten her enrolled and started in school and she even made the cheerleading squad – all firsts for her. Exchanges are full of so many firsts – for student and host family.

One of the firsts that plays a huge roll in exchanges over and over is food. Students are tasting so many different US foods for the first time (hello mac & cheese!) and are usually very excited to share favorite recipes and foods from their home country. Silvia couldn’t wait to make a Spanish omelet for us. It was amazing! Another first for me was realizing that when baking using metric measurements, everything is in grams so it has to be weighed out. Silvia decided using measuring cups is much easier!

One of the funniest food experiences so far was when she tried corn on the cob. I was aware that much of Europe doesn’t eat corn like we do in the US – it’s often considered animal feed. But with corn on the cob being a favorite early fall treat, we couldn’t wait for her to try it. The result was hilarious! One bite and she decided she didn’t like the taste or the texture. We have teased her many times since then about it. Fortunately, corn dogs didn’t receive the same reaction and have become a favorite!

We continuously remind ourselves that there will inevitably be things we love that our exchange student does not, and that’s okay. After all, she is not a small child we are raising, but a young adult who is experiencing new things in a new land. These students quickly transitioned to a world where almost every sight, sound, smell and yes, taste, is foreign. Fortunately, the likes have so far outweighed the dislikes!

As we transition into the holiday season, there will be many more firsts for all of us and our extended family, especially in the food realm. We can’t wait to fix a traditional Thanksgiving meal for Silvia and to bake Christmas cookies together. We plan to incorporate Spanish dishes and celebrations into our holidays, possibly turning firsts into lifelong traditions!