Host family

I love my host family!
The rhythm of my host family is very similar to my life at home... with people always coming and going, and figuring out where to take which car, and with whom, etc.

Mayte, host mom, is a forestry engineer, as is Gerardo (host dad). Paula, 22, spends her days at the university, studying biology. Javier, 19, goes to institudo each day (like, high school), and Abel, 10, has class in colegio. Abel is just like Zachy; full of energy, excitement for new things, enthusiasm for simple things, and passion for what he enjoys.

Then there's our pets: We have Juma and Iris (cats), Negro (an old black lab, lives outside on the porch), and some fish in a small tank (including a beta who has a little section to himself). Juma likes to curl up on my lap while I'm on the computer, just like Rascal, when someone is typing! Paula also takes care of five newborn chickens, nightly, who live in a small wooden box, which stays on the countertop in her bathroom, and they will transition into the outside cage when they are bigger. The outside cage is home to about four other birds. The pet-next-door-neighbors to the bird cage is another outside cage, home to two rats (whom I haven't seen, yet). Paula also keeps her snakes in the glass cage in her room. Cool =P