Getting Settled In

Starting this blog a little late, but better late than never...right? Anyways, I am spending my year in Slovakia for a better grip on understanding different cultures, and gaining new experiences. What better way than to plant yourself right in a family and live the true Slovak way. For my first host family, I am living in Divina, a small village on the outskirts of Zilina. My host family consists of my parents, the oldest brother, Jan (29 years old), and his wife, Marian (27 years old), and me; which makes me the baby of the family. The only hardship so far: none of my family members speak English. This means that in order to communicate (an essential part of living here), I must learn Slovak. This is a very difficult thing to do, however my host family is extremely helpful. Every day while we are at the table eating, my host family teaches me new words. This seems like a slow approach, however it is working well and I am picking it up quicker than I anticipated. I am lucky to have been placed in such a caring and generous family. Also, my host mother is a fantastic cook! After being here for one week now, I have come to the conclusion that Slovak mothers always want you to eat more; which is hard when you eat 5 times a day. However, Slovak food is very good, and I have only come across two things I did not like. The second day I was here my host brother took me into the city (Zilina), where we met up with a Slovak friend of mine (Zuzka) and got my bus pass and visa application. I also got a tour of the city from them. Zilina is a beautiful city right at the base of the mountains. It dates back to the 13th century and has an interesting mix of extremely old buildings and very modern architecture. I am in love with it. I have also posted pictures of it, along with some pictures of my house.