First post!

By Ruth:
It's April 2013 and we've just set up this blog to record our year in Boston and to keep in touch with all our friends and family. We're all new to this so bear with us if it all goes horribly wrong!

We'll try to update occasionally before we leave for Boston in June (Barry), on July 19th (Dougal - yes he's coming too!) and July 20th (the rest of us).

We are already well on the way with our preparations. We've started packing and putting stuff up the loft although despite having putting many many boxes and bags up there the house doesn't seem to look much different. Lots more work to do yet. We've got our apartment sorted out in Boston in the suburb of Brookline which is supposed to be historic, attractive and community-minded. Apparently Olympia Dukakis lives on our street! The girls will hopefully be attending Pierce combined elementary and middle school which looks excellent with lots of music and drama opportunities. I'll let the girls add some thoughts as they look forward (hopefully) to the year ahead.

By Izzy:
I am really looking forward to the year in Boston. I want to go, but I don't. I have some great friends and family and I don't want to leave them, even if we are only going for a year. Also, I don't want to miss my first year of the Comp.

I am looking forward to moving into the apartment, it looks really nice. Also in Brookine there is supposed to be a really nice park, where we can take Dougal for walks. We are not going to get a car over in the US so we will have to rely on subways, buses and our legs to get around!

Another thing I will really miss is Netball. It is my favourite sport and they don't play it in America :(
Oh well, I'll just have to make do with basketball.

I have written down a few negatives, so here are a few positives:

Sun in the Summer
Snow in the Winter
More Snow Days
Good Food
Lots of amazing trips (Harry Potter Land, Universal, Disney)
A great experience

By Rachel:
Here we are. Writing a blog for our year in the states. Its gonna be totally awesome! I can't wait to meet all the people who will live there, or anything else.
It's not all brilliant though. I will miss lots of things. But most of it is! Before I go through the very small amount of negatives, let's do the endless positives!
Firstly, the weather. Who would miss Porthcawl's dreary rain and occasional hailing! The answer is, NOT I! Gosh I'd give anything to get some of that warmth in Boston!
Secondly, all the adventures! In Boston we will explore until there is not an inch of concrete, or a grain of sand that the Appletons won't have already spotted!
There are too many positives to write down so I'll list the few worries that I have.
School. I am afraid of not making many friends.
Getting homesick.
Things not going right. Say.. we don't like  the School, Dad doesn't like his work, and none of us like the appartment.

It's going to be an amazing experience that we will never forget. 80% of me is saying..."Woooo! Let's do this!" But 20% of me is still slightly unsure.
Well, this is the end of my part of the blog for now but I will update as soon as I can
But for now,
Bye!