"Luck prefers the prepared mind."

Well, it's been a little more than a full day since I've left the presence of the 75 other exchange students from Florida. What a weekend! Though it was extremely busy, chaotic, and at times, frustrating, it is most definitely a fantastic memory to be looked back on. The second and final time we were all together before we depart, and hopefully not, but most likely the last time ever all 76 of us will be together. It's true there is the rebound orientation next August, but we can't necessarily count on the fact that some of us will be heading to college, not yet returned from our year abroad, or even the unmentionable, not completed the year. I'm sure after all the lectures and presentations this weekend, we all have it embedded deep into our cerebellums that finishing the year is the biggest goal, after enjoying it of course. 
ANYWHO, Chill out Negative Nancy; On to more positive subjects of conversation. 
This weekend was maravilloso! Culture comprehension games, tricky culture experts challenges, and quite a few presentations and speeches filled up our itinerary, and left us little room to sit down and just talk. It is something we're quite good at, if we're being completely honest. It was so nice to just chill in the fellowship hall for half an hour and meet someone totally new, and be able to have a full conversation with them, and walk away with a brand new friend; a definite plus in the world of RYE. 
Memories, for the moments when we look back and can't exactly remember what happened at "Cultural Boot Camp"

 Square Game....Ours turned into a Robot through much creative thinking. 

Victoria (Finland) Lucas (Denmark) Lindsay, Abbie, Moi (Espana!) Carlos (Italy) Aaron (Espana)

 Recieving (then quickly exchanging) Business Cards! 

Me and Amber (Thailand)

Random Group Pictures while waiting for Lake Yale Lunch

Jazmin (Italy) Sarah (Brazil) Katie (Ecuador) Mackenzie, Hannah (Brazil), Mackenzie, Victoria (Finland), Michael (Brazil) Moi, Kayla (Ecuador), Jane (Turkey), Jennings (Czech Republic), Joe (Kyrgyzstan) Carter (Peru), Vanessa (Faroe Islands), Sam (Brazil) Laura (Italy)

 RYE Florida Class of 2011-12 Outbounds

76 Students, 31 Countries, Una Familia

 Four Original Spain Outbounds! 

Barca, Torrevieja, Pamplona, Denia<3

¡Una Niña Feliz!

All Official and whatnot with my Blazer and Badge!

Normally I wouldn't update this much in two days,

But this is an essay that we had to complete and send in today. Let me know what you think...

         What is culture? A simple question with a complex answer. Merriam-Webster defines it as “the act of developing the intellectual and moral faculties, especially by education.” Oxford calls it “the ideas, customs, and social behavior of a particular people or society.” Two almost completely unrelated answers, to define just one word. So which is it? An education, or a characterization?

       Culture can be used to convey so many different affairs, but I have found that it is quite difficult to depict culture itself.  Perhaps it is the chanting to the Guru of the Baisakhi rituals in India. Or maybe it is the “saffron, garlic, and basil mixed with the sweet smells of pepper and the smell of salt on the breeze” found in Turkey. It could just be the floats of the Virgin Mary and her Son, gliding through the dark, lamp-lit streets of Spain at night during Semana Santa, or “Holy Week.” Culture is the heart beat that keeps the body of a society alive.  Culture is what defines an assimilation of people who strive to find the zest of life in their daily manners and rituals. Every area maintains culture. Every place subsumes culture. Every person embodies culture. Whether it is in the type of clothes that they wear, the music they listen to, the varying holiday traditions they partake in; it is all part of their culture. And that’s just what culture should be. Deliciously zesty, or banally bland. Clamorously loud, or serenely quiet. Vibrant with energy, or mellow and tranquil. Contrasting. Colorful. Inconsistent. That is culture.

DOUBLE PLUS.

Huzzah Huzzah Huzzah! This lucky lady received her Guarantee Form AND School Acceptance letter today! What a spectacular surprise to really top off a most arid day! This means I can now send in ALL of my paperwork for my Visa, and I have almost everything ready for the consultation in Miami on July 26th. All of this paperwork can be frustrating, and quite inhibits the happiness that sort of radiates from you from the time you get the official call, to the day you depart on your journey. But in the end, it is all necessary and worth the time spent fretting about completing them.  
SO. I would say that right now, in this moment, I am almost at my *maximum happiness level. It's pouring poodles and perisans outside, with tons of lightning tagging along, I practiced my speech today for my dogs (no one else was home. Please give me a break.), there is only nine days until the next outbound orientation, and the majority of my paperwork is completed and in my hands. Excellence achieved! 


**Edit:  ¡Ay! I completely forgot when I was writing this the whole point of WHY I was writing it! The other grande news that I received in my Guarantee Form package is;
THAT I AM GOING TO BE IN MADRID FROM THE 9TH-11TH OF SEPTEMBER! Hot diggity, am I excited! YES. Also filed under the big news category: Sometime in March or April (birthday season!), will be the Spain bus tour for all RYE exchange students in Spain! We'll be traveling around the south of Spain in Seville, Granada, and Cordova, and then end the trip in....PORTUGAL. 
This is going to be the most fabulous, wonderful, challenging, trying, life changing year EVER. 


Besos for now, 
Nicole<3


*Maximum happiness level is a quote used by a most loved character, Dwight Schrute, from The Office, A.K.A Best show ever. Recommended times three. 

Background: The Pre-Spain encounters in the life of Nicole.

Hola to all! My name is Nicole, but hopefully you all know that, because you know me :) If not, I sincerely hope you aren't creepin on me, and you're just interested in my year abroad as a foreign exchange student to Spain. 

Moving on. Background of the background: In 2004, my family hosted an exchange student from Thailand for seven months. After growing up as a "Marriott Brat", and moving around quite a bit during my "youth", and going a few six week trips across America with family, I knew that traveling was in my plans for the future. Fast forward to March 2010, and my mom asking me if I wanted to go to foreign country for a month during summer....uhmmm YES. I ended up in France, had the time of my life, and have already made plans to go back and visit with my host family<3 

Fast forward to November 2010: Woah! Slow down! All the sudden the deadline for the long-term application is due, and I'm freakin' out. After a few weeks of scrambling around trying to complete the seventeen page application, it was done! Application turned in, and interview all through (unfortunately I lost my voice about a week and a half before the interview, so no voice for Cole...)

 About three weeks later, I received a phone call saying that it was someone's lucky day because they were able to tell me that I was accepted as a foreign exchange student! A few weeks after that, all 10 outbounds from the Orlando area found out their new home country for the next 10 months. Way cool.

So, what I know now: April 16th, 2011, I got my first email from my host family telling me that they were very excited to host me as their daughter. I have two parents, Mari Carmen and Fernando, who are archeologists and like to travel. I also have sibilings! My host sister Marina (16) however, will be on her very own exchange year in Vancouver! Exciting, yet sad. But I know it will still be a great year with my brother, Fernando (14)! As I'm the oldest of three girls here in Orlando, it will be interesting to only have one other sibiling, and a brother (at last!) at that ;) 

And here we are now! Roughly three months to go until my departure to lands unknown (to me anyway), and I'm getting psyched! Also, a little nervous, and a tad bit sad about leaving behind what I have here in Florida. It has hit me recently that I won't be here, AT ALL for my last year of high school with some of my greatest friends, but I know that I am about to embark on the greatest 10 months of my entire existance...until after college anway ;)

Thanks for checkin' out my journal! I really hope ya'll enjoy reading about my adventures in Espana, and if you're wondering whether or not to do an exchange, the answer is always YES. Whether or not you go for a school year or a summer, I can vouch that it will most definitely be a life changing experience that you will never regret. 

Besos for now,

Nicole<3