Last minute preparations

I finally have my visa. The application was sent to the consulate in June, and when I called in July, the people said that there was no way that the visa would be ready before September. Well...When my host father pulled some strings in the town, the process started to go faster. I sent my passport to the consulate early this week, and it will return any day now. A word to the wise: Always give yourself plenty of time to get your visa and passport. It takes a long time. Now I am packing, there are piles of clothes and other things all over the floor of my room. I bough a HUGE suitcase, but I think that most of it will be full. My host brother is going to be in a town two hours away for his exchange, and he arrives tomorrow!! Mom, Dad, and I have plans to go and meet him for lunch this weekend. It will be exciting to meet a member of my new family. They have been in email communication with me, and they sound like the ideal family. As soon as I get into the country, we are going on a holiday to a lake. The email said that some activities there are sailing, cycling, and visiting castles. It was the castles that made me the most excited. Today, Mom and I went shopping for gift for my new family members. It was hard to shop for two sisters, given that I have no idea about the like of European 4 and 14 year-olds. The best thing about this week, is that I finally saw the person who inspired my interest in the Czech Republic. My 7th Grade English teacher was at the bookstore when I was there the other night. She made us read a few books about the former Czechoslovakia when I was in her class. The books sparked my interest, and now it is going to be my home for a year. When she heard this, she said it made her night. Seeing her made my night as well. My favorite book was Stones in Water I leave on Monday, so now I mainly need to put everything into the suitcase. Until then, I'm just spending time with friends and family.