This wonderful trip is coming to an end...

Hi there!
Three months have already past since my arrival in the US and looking back it feels like time went fast... Unfortunately my visa expires within 2 days, so i better get out of the country before they decide to deport me :) I just finished packing and i thought it was time for probably my last message on my dearest blog :) In fact it's not sure whether i'll be home on Saturday because i'm flying standby and the flight that goes directly to Brussels is already overbooked... We'll see when i get home, it's kind of a surprise :)

A few days before my departure, some of you asked me to let them know if 'bigger is better'. Well, after being here for 12 weeks, i can tell you that bigger is sometimes more impressive (like the gigantic malls where you name it and they have it, the huge buildings in New York and Las Vegas,...) and maybe you would think that people are less personal because of the focus on mass production but actually that's not true at all. It's amazing how friendly they are, they always ask you how you're doing and if they can help you with anything without being obtrusive. The only thing they couldn't help me with was finding the traditional 'ginger bread men' and even after looking for them in almost 10 stores, they were not to be found :)

During my trip, i've been in 12 different states, stayed with 9 different families and by taking the courses and visiting different practices, i've learned many valuable things i will certainly apply when i start working as an optometrist. This was one of the best decisions in my life! It was very nice to be a part of all that and to experience how it is to live here. And although i had a great time here, i'm also really looking forward to go home and seeing you all again!

Good night and sleep well xxxx

Thanksgiving weekend in Lubbock, Texas

Good evening friends!

First of all, i would like to thank everyone for their birthday wishes through email/facebook/postcards! You all really made my day unforgettable!

Thursday November 27th
I've spend the past four days in Lubbock (Texas), visiting some very good friends of my parents. Frances and Lesley picked me up at the airport and we drove straight to their family to celebrate Thanksgiving. Looking out of the car window, i immediately noticed the different landscape. In general, it seemed less dry than in Phoenix and the grass had a yellow color. The white spots on the fields which i thought were snowflakes turned out to be little pieces of cotton. Once we arrived at the house and after greeting everybody, i felt at home from the very first minute and the whole family was so friendly! Elizabeth's cooking was just delicious: the sweet potatoes, macaroni with ham and cheese, the frozen cranberries/pineapple/marshmallow salad, the pumpkin and pecan pie and last but not least: the turkey :) The whole atmosphere of sitting together with friends & family and enjoying each others company looks a lot like our Christmas diner in Belgium. Especially when all the houses in town start to be decorated with lights, trees and Santa Clauses! My first Thanksgiving was a success :)

Friday November 28th
The day after Thanksgiving is always the biggest sales day of the year and shops open their doors at 04.00 AM! At Wall mart, 2000 people were waiting to get in and an employee was stepped on so many times that they had to bring her to the hospital!
After a very early swim with Francesat 06.00 AM (yes you read this right:)) and a good breakfast, i visited the Science museum (you can compare this to Technopolis in Mechelen). Although it was mainly meant for children, i learned a lot :) They also had an exhibition about the sea life and while i was closely looking at some fish in their aquarium, suddenly a hand showed up in the water. My god, that hand scarred me to death since it was not supposed to be there :) Once at home, we watched The Rockettes Christmas show on TV.

Saturday November 29th
Today the Texas Tech University Football team had their last game of the season and on the very last minute Frances could arrange a ticket for me! Borrowing a jumper with the Texas Tech logo, i was ready to go to my first American Football game ever and i was so excited! Twenty minutes before the start, the band and the cheerleaders did a performance on the field, four little girls song the National Anthem and the senior players together with their parents were thanked for all their efforts during the past years. The freshmen of the Texas Tech University could now take their places. During the third quarter it didn't look to good for Texas Tech, they were two touchdowns behind on the Baylors. I will not bother you with the rules of the game, but one touchdown is 6 points. If you really want to know more, just Google it! It's the way i did it before i went to the game :) But then suddenly in the last quarter, they scored three touchdowns successively; the crowd got more noisy, the band enthusiastically played music and we all went crazy :) This is so much more fun than our soccer games! The coach said later in the newspaper: 'you had the first part which was pitiful and you had the second part which was impressive.'

Sunday November 30th
It seems like there is a first time for everything during my visit in Texas: Thanksgiving, an American football game and a church visit on Sunday morning. Also the square shaped hosts and the little plastic cups filled with red wine during Communion were new to me!

Monday December 1st
Oh yeah, that's right, it's my birthday today :) I honestly almost forgot! As i mentioned on facebook, i've spend my first hours as being a 22 year old in the airport and on the plane. I guess i've never started my birthday this soon, waking up at 03.00 AM this morning! During my lay-over in Dallas, i bought myself a cappuccino and a piece of chocolate/vanilla cake and i was able to read all the messages and emails on the public computer! That was just perfect :) This afternoon i tried to sleep a little bit, made a couple of long phone calls home, opened all the postcards and i've just blown out the candles on my birthday pie :) It's not a real party party day, but i enjoyed it a lot turning one year older in America!

I just had such a wonderful time with Frances and Lesley and they made my last days in the USA unforgettable!

Big hug x
P.S You find the pictures of this weekend in the album 'Thanksgiving in Texas'.