Busy Times in Washington
Exchange student from Ghana in hay field with Washington host family
Lois had such a busy month that we're not sure when she found time to pose for this photo with her host family!

What didn't Lois do?

The last month has been really good for me. This month was homecoming. I looked forward to it with all my heart. Preparations were made; I got a homecoming dress and shoes, and asked friends who I could go with.

The day before homecoming was a football game. My school played another high school in Snohomish. It was a home game for us. My host family came with me to the game. The cheerleaders and band were fantastic. I was a super fan for Lake Stevens at the game, shouting and cheering them along. I was with a group of friends from the robotics club. The game was good and we won 42-0. I was so happy to be part of the winning team. Halfway through the game, we did something called the chicken run. All the seniors raced after a chicken car over the football field screaming all the way. My friend Ash from creative writing class and I were supporting our school with our whole heart.

The next big thing was the homecoming dance. I dressed up for it with the help of my host mom. I had dinner with my family in a restaurant before I left. I wondered how homecoming would be. It was amazing—everyone all dressed up and dancing to the music of the DJ. There was food as well. I talked a lot, ate a lot, and took a lot of pictures. The group of friends I was with was very cool.

I performed this month on my guitar as well. I played for the men and women at the retirement service as well as in front of my class. I received so many complements that I was happy I tried something new. Trying the guitar made me realize I could sing—something I thought I was bad at because I had never tried.

I went to downtown Seattle this month with PAX. I was so amazed by the huge buildings along the Pacific Ocean. I went up the Space Needle and saw the whole city. We also went to a museum, and I learned the history of Seattle. I went to the Seattle Market, and it was such a busy place: fresh fish caught from the sea, various eating places, and the gum wall. I visited the first Starbucks, and it was an amazing trip. The gum wall was the most surprising place; I laughed thinking about how it has become a tourist attraction.

This month, I also volunteered with my PAX family. We went to the food bank and helped in packing 3,000 bags of rice that equaled 2,308 meals. I was really happy to be part of it. We went to the retirement service as well as a church to help them with their Halloween party.

Halloween was great—visiting a farm, carving pumpkins, and going trick or treating. The corn farm was shaped like the state of Washington, and so we had to find all the cities. It was a fun experience.

"Knock, knock, trick or treat," I said as I walked from house to house with my host sister begging for candy. I earned half a sack of candy. I dressed up as Captain America. It was such a wonderful experience.

—Lois (YES, Ghana), hosted by the Tibbits family (WA)