11.45 a.m. The day has finally arrived. I can’t believe it yet, though. My life is going to be completely different for two weeks, which, at first, seem almost nothing, but which are actually 14 days, 20.160 minutes, 1.209.600 seconds… in a country I’ve never been to, defending myself in a foreign language, having as most known people, 30 fellow country people I haven’t seen in my whole life, but, over all, recognising as my family a couple I’ve never heard about. I do be afraid, but also the 30 people around me…

The plane took off. I had already talked with a few girls, who I clicked straightaway with immediately.

After a long and heavy journey, we eventually arrived at Prior Park College in Bath, where the host families had been waiting for more than an hour. Everyone met his/her family and went home. My people seemed really nice and hospitable, actually I felt very comfortable with them since that very first day. When we got home, they showed me the house around and I sat on the sofa in the living room, so I could get to know them a little. We talked about my stay, the course organisation, the activities, the schedule, the ways to get to the college, a little about Bath, etc. In fact, the first day was a bit bizarre due to suddenly I had to take into account important things, totally unfamiliar for me, thus, I and the three Spanish girls who lived around me, were a bit disconcerted because we didn’t really have a clear idea of the buses we had to take and at what time came the last one. But from the third day and up everything passed so fast. It seemed for me as if I had been having that way of life for years. I really got used very quickly. In the mornings I went to the college and had some English classes with people all over the world. In the afternoons we did trips or went shopping down to the city centre. In the evenings sometimes we had disco at the college, some others my Spanish group met and others the girls who lived in Odd Down (a residential neighbourhood in Bath), as me, went for a walk. During my stay I could visit cities such as Bristol, Oxford and London, and amazing places as Stonehenge.

But suddenly, I woke up one morning and realised that that 2 weeks which seemed endless the first day, had incredibly flown by. Once again I found myself inside a coach, surrounded by full suitcases and the same people as the first time. Now, though, they were not that unknown folks I had to talk to, but the family, best friends and mentors I had had during two amazing weeks. I couldn’t believe that the two weeks or the 14 days, 20.160 minutes,1.209.600 seconds had simply ended, disappeared. Perhaps I couldn’t, but I think I didn’t want and actually I don’t want to refuse the idea of not walking those streets again, or not waking up with that sweet English voice. I miss all those little things which made my stay

unforgettable.

Someone who had taken part in one of these courses last year, told me the day before I went that it had been the best that had happened to her in her whole life. I realised how veritable this phrase was, when my tears started running down my cheeks as I said goodbye to all that big and extraordinary family.

AIDA BLANCO

1r Batx.