Inspiring story of our host family during COVID-19

This year with our exchange “daughter” Alba exceeded expectations! As a young, newly married couple with no kids of our own, my husband Isaac and I questioned whether we were suited for this new adventure. We were so anxious and nervous for Alba to arrive from Spain, but we all immediately clicked from the second she stepped off the plane. Alba proved to be an independent, hardworking, intelligent, social butterfly. She joined her high school dance team, (which was exciting, as my husband and I are both dancers) along with a few other clubs and immediately immersed herself into the American high school experience. When the pandemic hit, she was sad but so understanding. Though the last 3 months of her stay weren’t what we expected, it allowed us to spend more time bonding as a family. During this time we learned more about Alba’s lifestyle in Spain, and had a lot of laughs comparing “Spain Spanish” and “Mexican Spanish,” which my husband speaks. We also figured out creative ways for her to safely spend some time with friends to keep the social connection. We are so lucky to have been able to show her all parts of Oregon including the city, mountains, forests and beach, as well as Seattle, WA and San Francisco, CA. Alba will forever be a part of our family and we, along with our fur baby Zorro, will miss her so much. We look forward to visiting her in Spain in the future!