Belen Lara T.

2008-09 Inbound from Spain

Hometown: Garrapinillos, Spain

Sponsor: Zaragoza Rotary Club, District 2210, Spain

Host: Gainesville Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida, USA

School: Buchholz High School, Gainesville, FL

Bio

Belen's Bio

Hello! I’m Belen Lara and I’m an exchange student from Spain. I’m 15 years old. In Spain I live at home with my father, mother, and my younger brother Fernando (12). I live in Zaragoza, a big Spanish city with 1,000,000 people.

I like playing tennis and dancing. I usually play tennis 4 times a week and on the weekend I play some matches. I really like traveling everywhere and when I’m older I’d like to travel all around the world.

From August 7th I’m in Gainesville, it’s a city that has a population of 250,000 and it has the University of Florida (the second largest university in all the USA). My family is very nice and they have given me everything that they had. Here I’ve got 3 sisters, but one of them has gone to Argentina (Zhoe) as an exchange student. I’ve got a little brother too, Dakota, he’s so cute and he’s always saying Belen =)

Also, I’m a sophomore in Buchholz High School. It’s a huge school, it has 3,000 people and 8 or 9 buildings (it’s a folly!).

I’m very excited to live this year in Florida, The Sunshine State =), so I can know about another culture and language way different to that of my family.

Hugs, Belen!

September 10 Journal

My new life started on August 7th. I went from Madrid to Orlando but before I had to be in Philadelphia airport. The trip was very long because I had to be 9 hours in the plane to Philadelphia and then 2 hours to Orlando. It was very boring and I couldn’t sleep so it was more boring. When I was in the plane I remembered all things that had happened in my life and It was hard because I didn’t want to leave my family, but I had chosen going to USA to start a new life far from my family. I know it’s hard, very hard sometimes, but I think that it’s good for you and for your future because you’re going to learn a new language and a new culture. It’s good for me.

Since I was here I’ve lived a lot of moments and I’ve done things that I hadn’t never done. To be here is like a dream come true. Each moment that you’re here is better than the past.

Arrive at Orlando airport:

The arrival was at 9 pm at Orlando airport. There were a lot of people (including my 1st and 2nd host family). I felt very welcomed because everybody had paper where there was my name, Belen Lara, it was a very exciting moment for me because I was very nervous (I didn’t know what was happen here and I didn’t know who was going to take me at the airport, how they receive me, etc), so thank you to everybody who were there that day.

First days:

They were very confused because I couldn’t understand any question, any word, any English! The first days are very funny too because everything is new for you and you like all. I tried to speak through gestures and signs because nobody understands you and you don’t understand anybody, so it’s very hard to communicate the first days. First days I was in a Rotary meeting in Gainesville were I met Borna (other exchange student from Croatia) and a lot of people who tried to help me in every moment. I was also with Zhoe (an exchange student that she was going to Argentina –right now she is in Argentina- and both were very exciting to be there)

My First Host Family:

They’re so kind! They live in Gainesville and they have a farm close home. I’ve got 2 host sisters (16 and 15 years old) and 1 little brother (2 years old =)). They only eat healthy food and a lot of fruit (that’s good for me=)). They have a gym and a tennis court. They have milk and eggs when they want because they have a lot of chickens, 2 cows and a pig.

My School:

Buchholz High school =). It’s a huge school because it has 2,500 students. There are people from any place of the world: Chinese people, South American people, Spanish people, French people, Hungarian people, and African people and so on. It’s great for me because in some classes people who speak my language (Spanish) can help me if I don’t know something. In this school everybody has a car, everybody! In Spain you can drive when you’re 18, but here you can drive when you’re 16. I’ve taken World history, French, Algebra, Biology, English and Spanish =). English class is very hard for me because it isn’t my language and everybody can speak English except me. It’s the most difficult class.

Orientation weekend:

Orientation weekend!,, wow! It was great. We had a lot of fun, we could meet us. It was a wonderful weekend. Everything was great and fun. There were 67 people from all over the world (Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Peru, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Turkey). Amazing people but I couldn’t meet all them because there were too many people to meet and you couldn’t meet each of them. I can’t explain - you have to live that to explain it.

Also here, I’ve been in a Gators’ game (go Gators!) with my second host family. It’s a crazy place where everybody is screaming. Gators are the University of Florida team and all Gainesville is with them (well, all Gainesville and more places =))

This 1st month here has been amazing because I’ve met a lot of new people (really good people), I’ve improved my English, I’ve been in places that I’ve never been before, I’ve done things that I couldn’t imagine that I could do. Sometimes I’m homesick, but I think that it’s a normal feeling because you’re far from your family and you love them.

This year is being an exciting year. Thank you. Belen!

November 8 Journal

- Si no supiera donde estoy, pensaría que estoy soñando.

That is a good sentence to describe my life here, sorry if someone can’t understand it (you always can use a translator =))

My life here is very different than my regular life in Spain. I like living here but, sometimes, it’s very hard and you miss a lot your family but, of course, you spend great moments here. It’s very different the feelings that you live, you can cry and you want to return to your country, and then sometimes you would like to live here your entire life. I know, they’re completely opposite feelings, but I’m feeling them.

I’ve been here 3 months. 3 great months I’m going to remember them my whole life. Good and bad moments but they are part of this life. Of course there are more good moments than bad. I’ve really enjoyed these 3 months because I have to enjoy every single moment I spend here because in less than 7 months I’m going to return to Spain and it’s going to be hard because I’m going to leave here a part of my life, a good part of my life. But I knew that before I came here so I have to live with that.

School

Buchholz! Of course it’s one of the best schools ever (or the best =)). There are a lot of people there and that is really fun because you are discovering new things every single day and that is really cool. Classes are very easy! I thought they were easy but now, I’m living how easy classes are!. My grades are 6 A’s! I don’t know how people can fail their classes =S.

I’m really happy with my school because there are a lot of activities to do and a lot of events that you can go and of course, wonderful people! I’ve made a lot of friends there and they are the best friends I could have. My school is also very cool because the principal speaks Spanish (so if I have any problem I can talk with him in Spanish=)), well, here, everybody speaks Spanish so it’s bad for my English but good for me =). My favorite class is Spanish (of course!) and some days ago we made a cultural. There you have to take food (something Hispanic) and everybody eats and there is no class! It’s really fun and food is really good.

Homecoming week

It was a really funny week because every day there was something different. Each day there was a theme and some people dressed up with clothes about that theme. There was a Fairy Day, Beach Day, Safari Day, Celebrity Day and Black&Gold Day. Also students haven’t got homework! (Well, some teachers). It was a “free” week and people dressed up very weird=)

Homecoming dance

It was absolutely great! From that day I am happy, and a lot of my problems were forgotten there. September 26, 2008. I went with my host sister Sierra and her friend Natasha. We had met with more people in the dance so we weren’t alone. There were a lot of people and food. Music was a bit loud but ... that is homecoming!

American people dance different than in Spain. Music is also different because we don’t usually dance rap or hip hop but I tried to dance as well as I could. I made a lot of friends there and from that day I really love them.

A normal night in my crazy house=)

My night time is one of the best moments in my day. I usually (well, always) go to my sister’s bedroom (Sierra) and while she does her homework we talk. Sometimes (when she hasn’t got any homework), we dance, record videos, take pictures, etc. I really have fun with her. I consider her like a sister. She has helped me a lot since I am here and she is always trying to do things with me. She is the best host sister =)

English

Well, this is hard for me. In Florida there are a lot of Hispanic people so it’s easy to find one. I try to speak English all the time but sometimes it is hard. However, my English is better and better each day. Now, I can understand almost everything. To speak is harder but with time and work I’ll improve it. From now I have just 6 or 7 months more so I have to work very hard and I have to try to learn as much English as can be possible.

St. Augustine. Rotary weekend =) d.6970

It was great! We had a lot of fun and we could meet more other exchange students and wonderful families that they hosted us in their houses (Thank you!). We went to the beach (and we ate alligator), to the alligator’s farm, to a big ship and to go shopping in St. Augustine. I am waiting for the next Rotary get-together (Disney!!). Thank you everybody for that amazing weekend =)

Thank you Rotary for giving me this life time experience, because this is more than an experience, this is a dream that if you hadn’t given me I couldn’t be living it. Thank you so much.

Kisses, Belen =)

December 19 Journal

Hello everybody!

After more than a month I’m going to write an entry again, because in this last month there are a lot of new things in my life.

ELECTIONS

I’ve been in one of the most exciting elections ever! America was crazy about them, everything was about it, they were all the time on TV, teenagers were talking about them at school, people was promoting his candidate and we had to vote secretly, EVERYTHING was around them.

Finally, Obama won. Some people were happy and some people not but you have to know when your ideas aren’t accepted and when they are.

SEA FOOD FESTIVAL

My Rotary club organized a sea food festival. It was on November 6. I went there with my counselor Margaret and her husband John. Borna was there too. It was so much fun and we ate too much! At the end of the festival I had stomach ache. There were a lot of sea food, fish and desserts, it was really fun. Next day I couldn’t wake up from bed but I had to go to school anyway so I did what I could.

OUTBOUND’S INTERVIEWS

ON November 15th to November 16th, some exchange students went to Palatka to help Rotary with the Outbounds for 2009/2010. It was kind of hard because we had to be the whole days walking and talking with parents. Of course there was time to have fun and eat =P. At night all the girls were together in the same house. It was fun and the host family was super nice with us (Thank you!).

LAST GATORS GAME

Of course, we won! And it was 70-19 =)…not all football teams win with that difference of points!

Allen’s family invited me to go with them, it was so much fun but it was sooo cold! Brooke and I (my second host sister) were with a blanket all the time! ... it was around 40’s =S… But it was the last game and I was there (Go Gators!)

THANKSGIVING!!!

Oh my god! I’ve never eaten so much in my life and also, food was so good!

I made “tortilla de patata” and cookies. Everybody liked them and of course, we ate turkey!

After Thanksgiving we had food in the fridge for one week!! There were a lot of leftovers (and they were so good too!)

It was a special day because a lot of people were in the house and we were talking, eating, sitting, relaxing… It was really fun and I’d like to celebrate it next year in Spain with my family. I know they’d love it!

DISNEY

First of all,,, thank you Rotary for this wonderful experience, it really was a dream come true and you were the responsible of it. Thank you so much.

Disney was absolutely great, wonderful, super cool, unbelievable, fantastic, incredible … you cannot explain it with words it … it was just amazing!

We went on December 4th to 7th (of course we missed 2 days of school =D) and we met in All Star Movies Resort (the hotel was so cool. It had a lot of statues of movies and it had a big and warm pool!). We went to Hollywood studios and we were in a lot of places (of course, we went to the Rock n’ Roll coaster and to The Tower of Terror!). Next day we went to Magic Kingdom (my favorite park =D) and it was like a movie. The Castle of Cinderella was just beautiful! And at night it had lights and they were changing colors… There, I loved “it’s a small world” and “Space Mountain” (we were there like 3 times!).

On Saturday we went to Epcot…Here we were in a special program before everybody went inside the park. We had a guide and she was showing us things in this park. It is the best park if you like cultures but if you like exciting attractions, this is not your park. Well, Mission Space was pretty good. It was like you were in a spaceship and your face and your body looked like you were there! It was really cool.

We were eating in Italy. We had a reservation in front of Italy’s pavilion and we saw the fireworks (they were just great!). After Epcot we went to the hotel knowing it was going to be our last night together.

Last day. It was really short day! We started in Animal Kingdom at 8:30-9 and we finished at 2! We should be there the whole day but, next day there was school so we had to say goodbye to everybody and each one of us went to our homes knowing this trip had been one of our best moments in America (and in my case, one of the best moments in my life).

FAMILY CHANGE

This has been one of the weirdest feelings I’ve ever felt.

2 days after Thanksgiving I moved with the Allen’s. I had been the whole day sad (and crying most of it) and when I was going to say my last goodbye I started crying again. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to move with my second host family (because I love all of them) but, you have been 3 or 4 months with the same host family and finally you feel like you are one of them, for good or bad things. I really love every single body in that family. Sandra, Jackie, Randy, Sierra, Havana and the small Dakota.

Now I’m in other house, with other family and they are great! I really love them. We have always something to do and they are always trying me to do new things. They are a really good family and I’m sure I’m going to miss all of them a lot when I come back to Spain. Thank you Allen’s family for your welcome, it really made me feel at home.

Also, thank you Rotary. Not just for Disney, it’s for everything you all do every single day. Rotary is making my dreams come true. Thank you to my counselor because she is always doing things with me and she is always worried about my life. Thank you to my host Rotary club because I’ve met amazing people in it and they have always something for me. Thank you to Rotary in Florida. Thank you to my family because they let me do this. Thank you to my Rotary club in Spain to sponsor me. And thank you to everybody who makes me smile every single day.

I love you guys! Belen :)

January 31 Journal

6 months in America…with a lot of things done and a lot of new things to discover. Time is passing and everyday is one less on my list. A lot of things I want to do but I haven’t yet.

This stay here is becoming the best thing I’ve ever done before, and I’m very proud of myself because I decided to do it. The bad thing is you’re not with your parents, family and your friends. I miss them sometimes and sometimes I don’t, but I always know they are going to be there when I’ll return to Spain in July. I know it’s going to be really hard because I have here part of my life, part of myself, and It’s going to be really hard to leave everything I have but...I’ll return (and I’m sure about it!!). Maybe I come back to UF (who knows!-If I’m very very lucky!!).

Today (I do not know why), I’ve been thinking about my life here and I was thinking about the change I’m living…My English is much better than it was when I first arrived here, I have a lot of new and really good friends, I have a family (the best family I can have!!), I go to school like one more person, I cry, I laugh (more than cry), I’ve been confused, I’ve wanted to go to Spain and lose the rest of the year here (at least I didn’t do it because it could be the worst thing I could have ever done), and I love everything that it’s happening around me. I’m so lucky to be here and I hope I’m doing the right things.

School

I love school here! It’s easier than in Europe and I really have a good time there with my friends. I’ve changed my French 2 class to French 3 =) ... I’m very happy about it because I love my French 3 class and I also love my teacher there.

I know a lot of people at school and I really like it because when you change your classes, you’re all the time saying “Hi!” and I really like it.

Also, I’m going to start tennis in some days. I’m very excited about it because I’ve been 6 months with almost no tennis and I really want to start a school sport team. People in the team are very nice, the coach is very very nice and also, my 2 first host sister are there (and Sierra is the captain). I’m sure we’re going to have a good time together and we’re going to be a good team.

Christmas and New Years

I really enjoyed them. They were different but it wasn’t a big difference.

On Christmas eve I had dinner with the family and then we went to church to sing in the choir. Everybody was very nice dressed and after that we went home and we went to bed because we wanted to open the presents so bad!

Next day (Christmas!!), I woke up at 7 but I didn’t want to wake everybody up so I went to bed again ... the problem was that I was very noisy so finally I woke up my 2 sisters…and after that we woke up our parents… we were so excited. We started opening presents at 7:45, we had breakfast (one cinnamon roll that my counselor, Dana and I made), and then we kept opening presents. We didn’t finish opening the presents at 11:30 and we had to leave to have lunch with the family in a country house. After lunch we kept opening presents for 1 hour more. There were too many presents. I’m so grateful to my family, Santa Claus =), and the Rotary people who made my Christmas very sweet. Thank you so much because you all were very helpful. Thank you <3!!

For New Years’ I went with my family to Asheville, North Carolina (8 hours by car- but we were watching movies and I discovered my new favorite movie “Mamma Mia!!”-).

Asheville is a beautiful city! ... everything there is green and perfect! My father’s family is so so nice and they were like my family too! I don’t know why but everybody is super nice to me and I really like it. We were in Asheville 3 days before new years’ so I had time to enjoy the city.

I went to the biggest house in the USA –Biltmore. It’s biiiig! ... very big! I don’t know why you need a house like that…but I would like to have it =)

New Year's Eve arrived. I was kind of sad when it was 12 in Spain and here it was just 6 p.m. I was missing my family a lot in that exact moment. Then we went to have dinner to the country club (by the way, dinner was SO nice! And we had a lot of fun there ... it was very pretty). After dinner we went home to celebrate the new year (and I taught them to eat 12 grapes the 12 seconds before the new year’s ... some of them couldn’t do it but some did it!!)

When the New Year started, something very funny happened, that’s why I’m going to remember the beginning of the year 2009 forever!

Another day, we went to see gingerbread houses (they were so cute!!) and also we were in an Orange Bowl party. Asheville was really fun and I’ll always remember it. Thank you so much Allen’s =).

My Christmas’ holidays were really fun and I really enjoyed them. Thank you so much family, because all of you have made my Christmas very sweet. I love you all!

Key West!!

12 hours in a bus, boring bus ... but it was worth it. It was an emotional weekend because we all knew it was going to be our LAST weekend together and it’s really sad to think about it.

We had a lot of fun there and we are going to remember that weekend for a long time…everything was going to change from there and maybe we’re not going to see some of our friends again (I hope we will).

We went snorkeling, we talked about biodiversity, we created a song, we made new friends, we laughed a lot, we danced, we talked, and also, we signed t-shirts and flags.

It was really fun and I couldn’t stop crying when I said goodbye to the people that wasn’t going to Key West city…It wasn’t fair!!!

After crying and crying, we went to Key West, the most southern city in the USA continental. We were at the point further south in the USA. Then we said goodbye to the rest of our friends and we left to our homes. The bus trip was long again but it was better than the first time…We also had to say goodbye to people in the bus so, it was sad too.

And finally, I’m going to finish this entry. It was fun to remember all the moments I’ve lived in this 2 last months but it was better to be living them.

Finally I want to remember to every Florida exchange student that we’re closer than we think and we can see each other again. The world is very small finally. I’m going to miss you all a lot and if any of you go to Spain,, call me! =)

Rotary, thank you so much because of all the moments I’m living here. Thank you so much for making this year possible. I’m going to be very grateful my whole life with you all. Thank you!! I love you all <3

Muchos besos y abrazos, Xoxoxoxoxo, Belen xxooxox

July 5 Journal

I cannot believe it’s already July. It’s really sad when I think in less than 5 days I’ll be gone and I’ll have to return to my past life. Of course there is going to be a lot of differences. I don’t want to leave, I have part of my life here and I cannot think about living without it. But one thing I know it is that I am going to remember every second I’ve been in here, every friend I have, every place I’ve been, everything! I’m not going to forget anything from Florida because Florida has become like my home, I don’t know how but it really did. I still remember my first month in Florida, I thought it was the worst thing ever and I couldn’t understand why I was doing this. Around October I started thinking that maybe I liked this, on Christmas, I felt like I was at home. I’m so glad I didn’t ruin my exchange in September when I thought I hated Florida, because if I would have done that, I wouldn’t have enjoyed so many new experiences that Florida had for me.

I’ve been in so many places and I’ve enjoyed all of them. I’ve done a lot of new and different things that of course, I’ll take with me to Spain. One of the most exciting things has been to be part of the church choir at Trinity’s Methodist Church. My mom (my real one) has been telling me during my whole life that I couldn’t sing and when she knew that I was singing at church she almost died. It has been an amazing experience and I would like that churches in Spain have this kind of programs. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go on the tour they do every year around the country. They go from church to church and they give a concert and they move to another location. It sounds really fun but I have plans already for those dates (I am going on a tour on the eastern coast with Rotary kids like me from everywhere but they are inbounds in the USA; I know it’s going to be fun so I am not very sad).

But I will never forget the time I met the most awesome person in the world, TIM TEBOW! It was like a dream come true! I met him when I went to the Athletic department of UF with Borna and Ann Marie (one of the Rotary members in my Rotary club). He was in the hallway and he was talking on the phone. I saw him and guess what I did, I started crying! I was crying like a baby and I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t believe I was actually crying but that’s what the Gators have, and of course I’m a GatorJ.

I’ve been also very involved with the Spanish club of Buchholz. I went with the Spanish conference team to Orlando. They did pretty good and we were in 3rd position. We had a lot of fun and I made a lot of new friends there.

I went to Miami with my Aunt Belen from Spain. She came to the USA for a week and I spent 4 days with her. It was so much fun and I could visit the amazing city of Miami with all the different cultures they have. It’s a huge city with a lot of things to do. There was no time to get bored and I met a lot of new people from Spain because my aunt knew them. It was a really cool experience with her and I learned a lot from this.

A big American experience was Prom. There were around 500 people dancing for 4 hours and everyone was so beautiful! The best part was before prom where my friends and I got together and we got dressed. It was so much fun.

Florida weather has changed a lot since I am here. Right now it is so hot and it rains almost every day for a while. I am glad because I’m going to leave when it’s the worst part of the year even though I’d prefer to stay in here.

Last days of school were very sad. I couldn’t stop crying. I think it’s the hardest thing of the year because you’re not going to see all of your school friends again. And we also had to take our final exams and those were the longest days in my life. After school was over, we had graduation (not me but my friends did). It was such an American experience and I loved it. I think we should have that in the rest of the world. I really liked when everyone was throwing their square cap up or when they were all singing the graduation song and most of them were crying.

Final Rotary speech for my host club, Rotary Club of Gainesville. I couldn’t control my feeling and I started crying. I knew I was going to cry and I tried to stop but I really couldn’t. I’ve met amazing people from that club and some people helped me a lot. I am so happy I got to meet them during this year.

My last experience in the USA. I toured the eastern coast US cities. It was an amazing tour! I met amazing people and it was amazing. Thank you to my parents (they paid it) and the administration. I could see so many new things such as the White House, the Pentagon, Chinatown in New York City, the Liberty Bell (by the way, it is really small), the famous Times Square, a Broadway show (The Lion King), the chocolate factory and the Hershey’s park. It was so good and I enjoyed every single second during that trip.

This is my goodbye journal, it was a long one. I think this year has been the best year of my life (and probably it will be the best of my life). I’m going to miss every single person, moment, memory, house, meal, tradition, holiday, school day, etc. But I’m really going to miss my host family the Allens. They have been the best thing I’ve had this year and it would have been very different if they wouldn’t have been my host family. I am going to visit them for sure and they will visit me because they are also my family. Their home has become my home too, everything they do, I do too. They are amazing people and I cannot be more grateful to them. I’m also going to miss my friends, and my 2 best friends – Tania and Gaby. To have friends during this year is very important. If you have any problems, they help you. If you want to have fun, they have fun with you. If you need to cry, they cry with you. I am sure they are real friends and they will visit me in Spain, hopefully next year J.

I’m going to leave in 4 days. I’m not ready to leave. This place has become my home. It’s going to be really hard to say bye to my life and say hello to my past life. But I should be happy to see all my friends and family back in Spain. It’s a feeling I’ve never had before, I’m leaving, I want to, but I don’t want to. It’s exciting, but sad at the same time.

I’m not saying goodbye because this is not a goodbye. I’d say “see you later!” because I’ll be back J See you later, alligators! Love, Belen <3