Another Home

There's a dart board on the righthand wall, three green and three red darts stuck nicely in place, holes on the surrounding wall memories of games long over. I'm curled up on a blue, green, and yellow checkered futon, a fuzzy blanket wrapped around my legs and toes. The room is just warm enough that I don't need to get up and turn on the heater that is nicely placed in the center of the room; I can imagine the whirring of it's fan, the heat radiating in my direction, and the slight blinking of the red light that would constantly catch my eye. My school books are stacked (mostly) neatly in the corner, and my head aches just the tiniest bit as I think of my science exam this Friday. I wonder if I can hear the quiet footsteps of my host dad coming through the door; it is him, he shouts "Hola" down the stairs and turns back out the door to take the dog for a walk. "Ding" goes my laptop, signaling a Facebook message and causing me to grin involuntarily. A cootie catcher sits on a shelf to my left, surrounded by CDs, DVDs, cords, pens, and other nicknacks; it reminds me of Callie and the countless times she's asked me to "pick a color" (or a number, or an animal, etc.). I miss California, but I already feel at home in my new family. It feels fantastic to be welcomed here with such open arms, not just by my host parents but also by the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I'm looking forward to the wonderful months to come, and am, quite simply, happy.