Carina bor hos sin danske DIS-værtsfamilie i Borup, og hun har siden ankomsten til Danmark i midten af januar 2015 haft uforglemmelige oplevelser sammen med sin værtsfamilie. I interviewet her fortæller Carina om, hvordan det var at blive modtaget af sin nye værtsfamilie og om nogle af de oplevelser, de har haft sammen.
1. Who consist your host family of?
My host mom Connie, host dad Jesper, and four host siblings from the age of 9-16: Ida, Jannich, Catherina and Sylvester.
2. How was the first couple of weeks in Denmark? What did your hosts do to make you feel comfortable?
My host family did a fantastic job at making sure I felt comfortable upon my arrival. I am gluten-free, and on the first day after they picked me up from the airport they had made me gluten-free cake and tea, in which we all ate together. More so, they gave me a tour around the neighborhood and Copenhagen as well as invited me to family events such as soccer practices.
3. You went on a weekend trip to the West Coast in Jutland. How was that?
My family typically goes to the Western Coast of Denmark every summer, however, since they knew I was not going to be around then they decided to make it a winter trip this year. My siblings were on a break from school, so that is why we went that weekend.
The trip was a lot of fun. We rented a house that had a small indoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi and the beach was a five minute walk away. Although it was too cold to go swimming at the beach (and the currents too strong) I enjoyed walking on the sand and collecting shells and amber.
The trip was also a great way to get closer with my family. We ate a ton of great food (they even made Mexican food one evening by my request) and talked and played tons of card games.
4. In general, how is it living in a homestay?
It is great, but also makes balancing school and a social life with peers a bit more difficult (but worth it). I am my Danish family’s first student, so we both are new to the game. It is a learning experience for both of us. I don’t want them to feel like I am neglecting them (not spending enough time with them) but I also want to hang out with my new friends I have made. So that is something I am still working on.
Otherwise, I could not ask for any better. My family goes out of their way to make sure I have food to eat (which is not easy, given all of my allergies), and feel comfortable. They invite me to events, and we all have a great relationship,