''You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them''.

On August 2, 2008, I landed in Show Low, Arizona. This was the day that I met my family, the family that I have learned to admire, cherish, appreciate and most importantly love with all of my heart. When I came out of that ridiculously tiny air plane that saturday in August I had no idea that the family I was gonna meet for the first time, was the family that I would keep in my heart for ever. This family that I was about to meet had no idea that the silly Norwegian girl (later on given the name Starfox) would occupy their American home for 10 months. Eat all their food, steal half of Becca's bed, use their phone for long-distance calls back to Norway, showing off her driving skills in Debby's brand new Jaguar, having Curtis throw grapes at her and most importantly that she would be mean to Ferosh (bat-dog) when the family wasn't around.

I can remember as it was yesterday when the lady from EF that interviewed me said to me: ''You will leave your hostcountry with a family that you will always love''. But in my case, I loved my family the day I met them, and I will leave loving them even more.

Thank you all (you know who you are) for giving me the best year of my life and most importantly your love.