FAQ

I guess I always grew up knowing I would spend a year abroad, I don't know if it was because my mom spoke so highly of her Peace Corps experiences, the fact that I watched my older sister live an amazing four years abroad in Congo, or truthfully just the availability of the information. Either way, It was always an easy topic with my parents, and I had a lot of time to study and understand what I would be getting myself into. I often assume that anyone could do it, if they just took the time to walk down the hallway to their counselor's office. I never stop to think about how much time and effort the people around me have put into this experience.  My friends have put so much emotional support into this, and without them it would be so difficult for me to even think about pursuing further. Not to mention my family for not just supporting me emotionally, but also financially. It is such a blessing to come from a family that understands how important this experience can and will be for me. The way they have put my dreams first, is something that i will be forever grateful for. But for the point of this post: Their are a ton of people who don't understand how, when, where, and most importantly why I have decided to take this route for the next ten months of my life, I would like to answer a few frequently asked questions.

1. You're parent's are letting you go abroad... for a whole year?
-My parent's have never thought twice about my decision. I can't even remember me asking them, they have always just been really supportive, and that's more than I could ever ask for.

2. You're going to a private school, or an american school right?
-Nope, I will be attending a local public school with my (host) sister Mirian. I will be taking a lot of classes that probably won't transfer over when I get back to America, but that just means I  will have to work extra hard senior year. I think I'd take that for a year in Spain, any day.

3. So... you know the family you are staying with?
-I have never met the family I will be living with, but I think that is one of the greatest part's of this huge adventure! I have talked to my parent's once or twice, but I talk to my sister at least once a day.

4. Do you even speak spanish?
-This will be my twelfth year in spanish. I have been taking spanish since Kindergarten. I took math and science in spanish all the way through fifth grade, and from then on I have just been taking it as an elective. It is such a privilege to already be proficient in the language, and understand a lot of what is going on. But I will say that my grammar is horrific, and I am still a little shy when it comes to my speaking skills. I have also been taking german since sixth grade, but spanish is definitely my passion.

5. How did you choose AFS?
-I have a close family friend that went on an exchange to Argentina with AFS, It was also in the right price range, they have a great and interesting history, and i love the fact that almost everyone their is a volunteer. It tells a lot about an organization, especially if most of the volunteers are returnees. I definitely plan on getting involved when I return.

6. You're still coming home for Christmas, right?
-Sadly, I will not be returning home for Christmas. Neither will my parents be making the trip out to Spain. AFS greatly discourages the natural family to visit during the year, because it will break the immersion. It would be great to see my family, but it will also be rewarding to know that I completed the year on my own.

7. You'll still text me everyday, right?
-It is also frowned upon to make constant contact with your family and friends at home. It creates homesickness, and it also makes it very hard for you to connect with your family and friends abroad. I am also planning on deactivating my Facebook and Twitter.

8. Why are you spending a year abroad?
-I almost deleted this question after typing it, because it is so difficult to even think about. There are so many reasons why I want to spend my year abroad. I want to experience new things, open my mind to thing's I've never thought about, understand people that I've never given a chance to, learn a language that has never been anything more than words out of a maroon colored textbook. I want to experience a culture that I can only understand by living in. I want to be able to say I wanted this, and I did it. To be able to say it was awkward and amazing, uncomfortable and unforgettable. To know that I lived, and not just went through life day by day, I truly lived. That's why I want to spend my year abroad.

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Enthusiasm, defined as intense and eager enjoyment.

One of the greatest opportunities AFS has given me thus far, has been the chance to meet other people beginning on this journey as well. Through facebook, I have been lucky enough to meet dozens of other AFSers embarking on a journey quite similar to mine. We have been able to share our concerns, fears, new information, stories, and most of all our enthusiasm. I have one friend in particular, Erinn, who I am sure you will be hearing a lot more of. Erinn and I already have a lot in common, and especially with this whole Spain thing. We have both been taking Spanish since elementary school, we were both accepted on the same day, we both have sisters, do multiple sports, and coincidently enough both of our names end with two letters (meGG, eriNN). It doesn’t seem like a lot, but we talk to each other everyday, and as if we have known each other our whole lives. Our enthusiasm, and our love of travel and the unknown has brought us together, and almost immediately. We exchanged a few facebook messages, and became instant friends. Our "intense enjoyment" is exchanged everyday, whether we are talking about summer school, host families, or just our regular American lives. And the enthusiasm continues even on the most uneventful days. That's the spirit that will get us through the next year, that will keep us going through the worst and the best of our times there. Erinn's spirit and enthusiasm inspires me everyday, encourages me to continue along as we inch closer and closer to the beginning of our adventure. We have begun a friendship, something great, that I know will last a lifetime.

"There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind." -C.S. Lewis

As the school year comes to an end, and the summer begins I am forced to begin my goodbyes. I start with my teachers, my school, and will soon end with my best friends, and ultimately my family. The hardest part about this exchange will be the inevitable fact of leaving. First I will leave Alexandria, Virginia for my new home in Ponferrada, Spain with the Mendez family. The friends I've grown up with, the traditions, the memories I have created are all here in Alexandria, but maybe that's just it. All I have ever known is this city. My parents have lived here for decades, and their reputations have made it very easy for me to grow up here. I am ready to begin on my own, create my own reputation, my own connections, I am ready to start over. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean forgetting my past, or leaving anything behind. I don't mean that I am going to move and become the cliche teen movie, or lose sight of the redheaded rugby playing, cheerleader from Virginia. Start over, as in for one year I will be away from the normality, the things that have become so constant in my life, such as the language, or the school, and I will find myself. Through the hardships of moving to a foreign country with minimal language skills, I will find out whether or not I can keep the same type of friends, have the same sense of humor, or even keep the same style. When I get back, I hope to be more of who I am, and less of who I try to be. Maybe the hardest goodbye of all, will be the one to myself.

"Fall seven times, stand up eight." - Japanese Proverb

One of the first things that I was told as an aspiring exchange student was that this experience is going to be a long journey, and definitely not always easy. They compared it to a roller coaster, with every down there will be an up. It was hard for me to imagine having periods of time where I wasn't completely ecstatic about it all, but over the last 10 months of preparation, I can see exactly what AFS is talking about. For Instance, the Visa process has been very long, and VERY painful, and I have another batch of documents due before school ends. To say the least, I am feeling quite overwhelmed. Did I mention finals start in a week? The school year is finally coming to an end, and as of right now I have 97 days until I depart for Madrid. So Even though I have two very stressful weeks ahead, I will have the next two months to enjoy with my family and friends. Two months before they all slip into "Megg withdrawal," which is what most of my friends are calling it now. So back to the roller coaster, I mentioned before that with every low point, there will be a high point to remind you why you chose this path in the first place. Today during lunch I got an email with the subject line, "AFS: Your Permanent Host Family Placement with AFS-Spain" I am going to under exaggerate, but I freaked out. I am going to live in Ponferrada, Spain with my Host Mom, Dad, Sister, and two Brothers. I will have a cat, and a dog too! They honestly seem like my exact family, translated into Spanish! Now when people ask about my exchange to Spain, I can say more than "Yep, I'm going... nope, I have no idea where I'm living, but YES I AM VERY EXCITED!!!" So even though I've fallen, and way more than seven times throughout this process already, I am now standing up straighter than ever, ready for my next obstacle. 

“Life is like riding a bicycle. In order to keep your balance, you must keep moving.” -Albert Einstein

All of my normal daily activities such as school, or going to rugby practice, or eating dinner with my family have begun to have a little more significance. Knowing (for sure!) that I will be leaving for ten months, gives me a new perspective on the simple things. The things that have always been constant are turning into "my last time..." doing this or that. Tonight my dad grilled and we did our regular warm weather activity, eating dinner on our back patio. My sister and her friend Zoe were asking me questions about where their classes will be next year. I answered "Oh, It doesn't matter! I'll just show you around on the first day of sch.." I got about that far when we all realized that no, I wouldn't be able to show them to their classes. Next year I will be in Spain. I feel like this quote really explains it, of course I want to be with my sister on her first day of school, but of course I want to move to Spain for ten months. I need to remember that life goes on, and change is what balances it out. I know that most fifteen year olds don't move to another country in the middle of their high school experience, but I will. I chose to apply, I chose to spend hour after hour working on my application, I chose to learn everything I could about this program, because this is all I've ever looked forward to. I will be leaving behind a lot, but in return I will be gaining a year's worth of new experiences and memories with a new family and friends. But for now, I'll just keep moving.

Most Recent Search: "Flavor Blasted Goldfish in Spain?"

In my AP World History Class I had to fill out a map of Europe. Of course I started off with Spain. After five minutes, I realized that I had been outlining the country over and over again the whole time. I had doodled SPAIN across the top of my paper, and then proceeded to tell all of my desk mates again how I had been accepted by AFS to spend a year in Spain. I don't know what I am going to do for the next five months, If Spain is all I can think about. My excitement has turned into a little bit more of an obsession. I've found myself thinking about what my next blog post will be about, or contemplating whether or not I should bring certain articles of clothing with me, or researching how much my suitcase can weigh for our departure, which seems like centuries from now (by the way). Even though I have over-thought just about every aspect of my trip... truth is, I am still in complete awe. I cannot believe that next year at this time, I will be living in another country, speaking another language, at a new school, with new friends and a new family. One of my teachers stated it pretty well "You're life is about to change completely, FOREVER!" I've thought about that statement a lot, and any other fifteen year old might be terrified, but not me. I am going to miss so much about my family, friends and country, but I am so ready to begin this incredible journey. So to let a little Spain out of my system, I made two lists... one listing everything I am going to miss and another one listing everything I am looking forward to.


USA
-Flavor blasted goldfish
-Family
-Mattie's (younger sister) freshman year in high school
-Church
-My best friends
-Vacationing with the family
-New basement room
-Thanksgiving
-Iphone
-Neighborhood
-Rugby
-Field Hockey
-Cheerleading
-Basketball games

SPAIN
-Siesta
-Host Family
-New Friends
-New School
-My classes (in spanish)
-Learning more spanish
-Hopefully becoming fluent
-Writing this blog
-New House/Room
-Family visiting at Christmas time
-Tapas
-More amazing spanish food
-Spanish Culture/Festivities/Holidays
-Sara (older sister) will be living close by in Belgium
-Taking up a new sport?
-Shopping
-Meeting other AFSers going to Spain
-Having more independence

¡Hola! ¿Cómo Estás?

Hi, I'm Megg Rich. Sophomore in High School, planning on taking a year abroad to Spain. I was just accepted a few hours ago by AFS Spain! After three public break downs, 87 likes, 14 emails, 12 tweets, and 11 texts later, I'm ready to sit down and begin my blog. This blog, will take you from my pre-arrival through my post-departure. It will be play by play of my ten rewarding months to come in Europe. I have looked forward to this year since I was 10 years old, and the fact that it is only 5 months away... well, It is a little frightening. But honestly, I couldn't be more excited to embark on all of the new experiences headed my way. I have so much to look forward to, from living with a new family, going to a new school, to meeting new people, trying new foods, learning more spanish, and traveling the country. I hope you enjoy my blog, just as much as I will enjoy writing it!