My Experience in the USA

By Jose | Spain | USA High School Participant Added to by Mishelle | Nashville, TN | Host Mother

(Host mom’s commentary provided in Bold.)

When I first arrived in the United States, I never thought that my experience as a foreign student would be like this. The first thing I knew about my family when I met my family in the Nashville Intl. Airport was that in one day we would go to Eastern Kentucky for a family reunion. Ok, I thought, another state to visit…

What I never figured out was that a family reunion for me wasn’t the same for this family. When we arrived to the little town, a bunch of cars and trucks were waiting for us: we were going to be in a parade.

Our family was being honored in an Eastern Kentucky town. Very unique celebration of our families heritage and wonderful that Jose could join us for such an event!

That wasn’t my idea of a family reunion, but it was really fun—a new experience! But what would really surprise me was that two days later my family told me that I was going with them to Washington, D.C. to participate in the biggest protest in many years.

Sept 10-12, 2009 was a march on Washington that was covered around the world. America joined together to tell Washington our opinion on issues important to us: taxation, healthcare, immigration, and adherence to our Constitution, Celebrating free speech, love for America, visiting our most famous Washington area monuments was made even more amazing as I was able to share it with my new “son.” His perspective of our political system was truly fascinating to listen to.

In the bus while we were on our way to D.C. my host mom asked me to talk in the bus about my country. So this was so crazy that I just thought: let’s do it. And it wasn’t really bad… I didn’t expect that at all when I signed up for the program, but hey, it was great!

Jose took that bus microphone and told 50 people about Spain. He was incredible! Nearly 16 years old, visiting the USA and talking to a bus load of people traveling to Washington! He is right—it was crazy! Crazy Great!

I was going to visit the capital of the States, participate in an historic thing, and also it was my sixteenth birthday, September 12. It was a great day that I’ll never forget in my life. Then finally I had time to get adapted to Tennessee, the state where I was going to live for the rest of the year. My family was being great, it wasn’t a common family but it was another experience. Actually, I have never seen in my life a less common family. (I know we are strange!) A family formed of six people, where everybody was a little crazy in his own way, but everyone was really nice and willing to make me feel like one more member of their home. Then I passed some time getting adapted to my new life.

I started school, met new people, starting to make new friends, and getting to know more about the real United States. I started to move around the area where I was living. With Mishelle, my host mom, I moved a lot in this area because of her job as a founding Board Member of the 9-12 Project in Nashville, so I went with her to a lot of races and meetings in the Middle Tennessee political world. A couple of months later my English level was completely better, I was able to understand a lot more, and I was speaking really good, and also my relationship with my family was great.

In November I went with my family to a KISS Concert in Nashville. (Host dad’s idea – not the mom!) In that moment I knew why Nashville was called Music City USA. We had a great time and Nashville Downtown was really nice in the night. It was my first all guy outing with the family. I went with my host father, Matt, and my two brothers, Nate and Chance. Uncle Mark even went! A rock-n-roll concert in Nashville was awesome!

Then Christmas arrived, and I experienced my first American Christmas. It was exciting because I didn’t know what it would be like. Would it be like it is in the movies or something completely different? Christmas Eve arrived and it was a mix of family traditions, movie depictions and strangeness! A special Christmas Eve service was celebrated at church. It was beautiful with candlelight. Afterwards, we all went to the grocery store. The parents give each kid a $10 bill and let them shop for whatever they wanted in the store. It was funny because it was like a race because we had to hurry!

I know this is weird! My husband and I love seeing what our individual children “prize” in the grocery store. Each child is so different. We know Jose would spend his money on two favorite American items: Coke and Cookies! He rounded that corner with his basket and we were 100% correct! It is a wonderful and humorous silly tradition we loved sharing with Jose.

But I really liked it, it was a great experience, kind of sad too, because I was spending my first Christmas without my family, but anyway I had a great time. Then some time passed, and things were going very good, a month later I got on the soccer team in my school and we are having a good season. I was getting used to the real American life, and I was really having a good time. My host father and brother’s enjoy hiking. In early spring, we did take a hiking trip that was beautiful.

And a couple of months later my family asked me to join them on a mission trip to Nicaragua to help people there during spring break. We kind of talked about it at the beginning of the year but I wasn’t taking it really serious, I hadn’t even planned on going. But when I heard what it was about I convinced my family in Spain to let me go. The trip was amazing; I think it is probably one of the things that changed my life entirely. We helped people in an indigent medical clinic, and my job was to translate between Spanish and English for the doctors, one of them was Matt, my host dad. I met many new people in Nicaragua with the Vida Joven organization as well as many local people. Our church group was able to make a real difference in the lives of those we met. It was one of the greatest experiences in my life. Then when we came back from the trip, two days later my family from Spain came to visit me. They met my host family; saw the place where I was living, my school, my church, and many places around Tennessee. We then traveled to Las Vegas. It was terrific getting to see The Grand Canyon, Lake Meade, and Hoover Dam.

This is a true added bonus of hosting a child. We met Jose’s entire family and had the most incredible visit! It was so wonderful seeing his traits, personality quirks, mannerisms, and humor with his much missed family. They were so grateful to us for hosting Jose, while we expressed how thankful we were for their allowing Jose to be a significant part of our life.

My family returned to Spain, I went back to the school, and my American life returned to normal. And today, here and now, I am writing this paper, recounting what I think is the most amazing experience of my life.

Mom’s Closing Thoughts: To express my emotions and thoughts after this experience is difficult. A few short months ago, a stranger arrives in our home and he is our new “son” for several months. A lot goes through your mind. The small details….the big. Those things all tend to work out. What I didn’t understand thoroughly was what is emotionally needed to be a great host family. I truly believe that you must have a passion about your life. My husband is a physician. His love is healing the sick. He is a missionary for our church. My love of our country leads me to participate in our political system. I teach Sunday school to high school students. Each of our children pursues interest outside of the home. We are living a very full life that we are passionate about: church, sports, community service, etc. This will be a positive environment for a visiting student. A visiting child can see how resolve, honor, charity, and love of country can lead to a fulfilling life that you are only happy to share with others! Pursuit of excellence is how we should all live each day. I hope Jose goes back to Madrid having learned that one message.