#60 Double Placement & Little states my opinion!

I think it's time that I talk to you guys about double placements. If you are an exchange student for 2016, you will get your host family soon and some of you guys might end up in a double placement.
I know that for some it doesn't sound very appealing but let me tell you something.
Having another exchange student from a different country in hour family can be a really good thing!
When I met Cherry, my sister from Thailand I was so happy yo have her with me.
Of course I had some doubts at the beginning too, I mean, what if she doesn't like me? Or what if they like her better than me? But mostly I was just excited to meet her.
And now, over half a year later I still have that excitement.
Cherry and I are roommates and I have somebody to talk to about everything. Somebody that is going through the same experiences and that gives me a feeling of safety.
I know that it is not like this in every case but we are getting along very well and I can trust her. I had some stuff going on and I was so glad I could talk to her about it.
I don't know how this year would have turned out if she wasn't there. She is just a part of this just like my other host siblings and I love her to death! And now I have a friend in another country!
So please, keep an open mind and think about it before you may turn down a family just because it would be a double placement. Give it a chance and there is a possibility it will make everything even better. When I told other exchange students that I have a roommate, they looked at me in pity but I love it. Before I came here I was hoping I would get my own room but really that changed.
I don't feel alone at all and when I am sad it is comforting if somebody else is next to you.
See, it is really important to keep your expectations down. Like most of us, I was dreaming of a perfect host family with a big house, my own room (maybe even with my won bathroom), nice siblings, pets that I can play with. Traveling all the time, doing exciting stuff.
I can tell you something. That is not gonna happen. You will not get the perfect host family because it doesn't exist! When you read blogs, you don't read everything about them and even the best looking host families has its issues.
So yes, my host family is not perfect. I have disagreements with my siblings and my parents, I don't like some of the rules, I have chores to do, if I like it or not but that is how it's supposed to be! You want it to be real and that is how a real family situation is like! I mean. think of your family in your home country. I bet it is not perfect and there are things you don't like, right? So try to keep down your expectations and realize that perfect doesn't exist. I love my family here and everything about it.
And I am happy that I have chores, that I have to do dishes and help in the house like everybody else because that means they see me as a part of the family and not just as an exchange student.
I wouldn't trade my host family for anything.
So now to the area. Yes. I would have loved to go to California or even Texas but I ended up in Indiana. I bet it's not high on anyone's favorites list of you guys. That's okay. It wasn't on mine either. Hey, I'm not even living in a city! You want to know how many inhabitants in my town live? Well, I don't even live in a town. I live in the middle of the country. Everything I can see from outside my house is cornfields everywhere and the long Indiana roads.
My school is small. Only 600 students and it is hard to describe it. People always ask me why I would pay so much money to come to a school like Tippy but they don't understand that I love it! Everybody knows everybody and the country life is jut my thing. So even if you don't get placed in a state like California, Arizona, Texas or Florida, your year will be just as amazing!
So yeah this is just my experience and opinion about double placements and little states.