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Based in West Branch, Spanish teen tours Iowa
by Lisa McDonald · News · July 21, 2016
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site Superintendent Pete Swisher and his family welcomed a teenager from Spain to stay with them through July 29.
Ricardo Narbon, of Valencia, Spain, said seeing his older sister visit America four times motivated him to come as well. This is his first time in America.
“[I came] for improve my English language,” Ricardo said. The 15-year-old said he started learning English about five to six years ago.
Ricardo said he arrived June 24 and will stay five weeks. He said he traveled here on his own and not through a school program.
Ricardo said the organization he used, Xperitas, assigns participants to willing host families in America. He said he did not know where he would go until the agency informed him he would go to Iowa.
Swisher said his family offered to host Ricardo when the original host family was unable to. He said since Ricardo comes from a much larger metropolitan area — population approximately 786,000 — Swisher’s family plans to show him a more “traditional” life here in Iowa.
“We’ve had him on a special tour of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum and I’ll give him a tour of the park,” Swisher said. He said last week his family took Ricardo to see the Effigy Mounds National Monument, and will possibly take him to the Lincoln Home National Historic Site later this summer, if time permits.
“I like the houses,” Ricardo said June 29 when discussing his favorite American things so far. He said the houses are a “lot bigger” than the “simple” houses from his hometown, and the way of life “calmer” and “more relaxing” than in Spain.
Ricardo said he likes baseball, a sport he does not have at home. Swisher said his family took Ricardo to a sporting goods store to buy him a glove, and took him to a Burlington Bees game the first weekend in July.
Swisher said his three kids have enjoyed Ricardo’s visit since they are able to learn as much about Ricardo’s family, culture and country as Ricardo learns about theirs.
Swisher said there is one custom Ricardo might have the wrong idea about.
“I’m afraid he may think it’s normal to have ice cream every day as we’ve been on a bit of a run lately,” he said.
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