Outbounds 2013-2014

December 3, 2013

Moin! Well, it’s been awhile. In fact, more than awhile. I apologize in advance for my disappointing lack of news here, and for not being as diligent as I promised a few months back. It’s been said time and time again by outbounds turning in journals late, but I really just couldn’t find the words or the right place to start. The truth is (and I am speaking to future outbounds here) these past four months have been a complete and utter whirlwind. Yes, four months. It sounds crazy, right? The idea of leaving my family, friends, and home four months ago sounds so insane, in fact, that I can’t even put it into words. Life has a funny way or working when you’re on exchange. You start to lose track of time, and four months can seem as long as a lifetime and, at the same time, as short as the blink of an eye. In just two short weeks, it will have been exactly a year since I found out the country I would be spending the next year of my life in (which happens to be the beautiful country of Germany, if you somehow didn’t know) and so I figured I would try to write a short (most likely incredibly long) passage for you future inbounds to describe some things you might want to know about how your life could be very soon.

I left home on July 25, 2013. I was the first in my district to leave, and one of the first in the whole state of Florida. I must say, while exchange is something I have planned on doing and looked forward to for my entire high school career, I didn’t hold myself together very well when the time came to go. It was emotional, to say the least. Since I left so early, all of my friends still had their lives going on as normal, and most of them, understandably, had no idea what I was going through or even what I had exactly signed up for. I had lived in the same home with my parents for my entire life, so even though this program was a great adventure that I been so, so excited about for such a long time, pulling up those roots and finally leaving was not without hardship.

Outbounds: leaving will most likely be tough. Packing will be tough, preparation will be tough, goodbyes will be tough, your flight will be tough. You will have rushes of anxiety and sadness and excitement and constantly feel like you have forgotten something (this sounds ridiculous but it is so true) and maybe even have second thoughts, but trust me… it gets better.

When I got off my plane in Hamburg, Germany, I was at the wrong arrival gate and spent nearly 45 minutes ambling aimlessly across an airport with no idea where I was or what to do. My luggage had been lost and I had no way to get in touch with my host family. It was perhaps not the best introduction to my new home. Eventually, I found them waiting for me at the next gate, and I received such a lovely welcome that nearly all my worries went away. I was met by my host mother and sister, and I immediately felt comfortable. I guess what I am trying to say is that on exchange, you will learn to appreciate the little things, like simply knowing there are people there for you that care about your well-being…. like small kind gestures, people saying hi to you on the street, and people remembering your name. I think learning to see these things and not take them for granted helps to make you a better person.

I live in a tiny village called Neufeld, with only about 400 people living here. I am convinced that I have the best host family I could have asked for. My host brother lives in Hamburg and my host sister is on exchange in Brazil, so it is just me and my host parents at home most of the time. I really love home life here. I live in a beautiful house right on the water. The fields surrounding my home (and most of my village) are filled with sheep and geese. Just 5 km away from my village is the much bigger town of Marne, where I go to school. I am in the 12th grade in Gymnasium, the German equivalent of a higher-level US high school. I spend a lot of time in Marne, because while I do love Neufeld, it is very small and very quiet. Pretty frequently, my friends and I will take a train to Hamburg, where we can stay with either my host brother or my host mother’s brother and spend the weekend in the city. I could not be more thankful for this. I have completely fallen in love with Hamburg, one of the most incredible cities ever, which is luckily just an hour’s train ride away from my town. Hamburg has a certain energy that just couldn’t be replicated in the States, and I have come to absolutely adore it.

Since being here I have experienced things I never thought I would. I have spent time in some of the most beautiful places I could dream of, met some of the most genuine people from all across the world, eaten amazing food, and tried my best at getting comfortable speaking what I believe to be a pretty challenging language. I encourage all of the outbounds…. try things! If you only listen to one piece of advice Rotary gives you during your exchange, let it be this one: never say no to an opportunity. Thinking about how much I would have missed out on if I had said declined opportunities makes me feel really glad that I kept an open mind and didn’t turn things down, even when they may have sounded strange. Because of that open mind policy I’ve kept, I’ve walked 7 km through knee-deep mud to an amazing island in the middle of the north sea, gone to the biggest heavy metal festival in the world with a VIP ticket, seen some of my favorite musicians at an awesome Hamburg music festival, taken a train alone to Denmark to visit one of my best friends (with only somewhat disastrous results), gone to famous Hamburg football team games, visited the south of Germany, modeled in a fashion show, and formed the most incredibly day-brightening friendships with the best people I have ever met. I also will be going to the Canary Islands in Spain with my host family in January, and will be spending a month touring all of Europe in May. This is a Rotary Youth Exchange journal so you can expect cheesiness without a doubt, but here is some MAJOR cheese for you all: Keep an open heart and mind, and beautiful experiences will come your way. (Wow…. okay, it’s over now.)

In the last four months, I’ve learned a lot about what it really means to be an exchange student. There are some major challenges, and so I thought I would go ahead and offer my own findings here in case a future outbound with some curiosity happens to read this.

I’ve made a list of all the things that I’ve learned since being here that I wish I had known before I left. Hopefully this will be helpful for someone….

-You are human. You will make mistakes, whether you incorrectly translate something into your language and embarrass yourself or unknowingly bring up a huge taboo subject. It’s natural, and people will understand. Don’t have the world’s highest expectations for yourself.

-If you want to hang out with other exchange students, go ahead. Don’t feel bad for not only hanging out with your classmates from your host country. Exchange students make amazing friends and they know exactly what you’re going through. Not to mention you get to learn more about other countries besides just your host country. My best friends here in Germany are Brazilian and Mexican and I learn new things from them every day, plus we provide each other with an incredible support system.

-Trying to speak your host language is very, very important, but English is also one of the world’s major languages. A lot of people you meet will speak it, and if it helps you to connect with people, share amazing moments, or even form friendships, I say go ahead, use it. Leave the guilt of speaking your native language behind for a few minutes. It’s fine.

-Don’t expect everyone to want to be your friend. In Florida, I feel we are really overly welcoming to our inbounds, but that may not be the case in your host country. This isn’t because your peers are unfriendly; they merely see you as an equal and sometimes friendship is earned rather than automatically granted.

-If you are going to Europe, be ready for changes in your environment. For example, if you are coming to North Germany, where I am, you will have to get used to the sun setting at 4pm. This is hard, but you will find ways to deal with it and soon it will seem normal.

-You are bound to come across those who have deep-set negative opinions about Americans. Prove them wrong, be open-minded, caring, peaceful, and classy. Since being in Germany, I’ve really been tested by European standards on what it means to be an American. It has been really difficult and challenging and I can seriously say that I have grown and changed as a person (both in my way of thinking and in my opinion of my home country) so much just in these four months since my arrival. It’s really special to be able to go into a conversation and surprise others who seem to think all Americans are the same. I love to see how the idea of Americans practicing open-mindedness and tolerance shifts their opinion of the US. A friend recently told me she was talking to a guy I had spoken with earlier, and he told her he didn’t usually like Americans, but when he talked to me he actually felt differently, and he thought I was “really cool for an American.” That r eally made me happy.

-Try to speak your host language. You will sound ridiculous. People will laugh. Laugh with them. They are also probably really happy and impressed that you’re trying what may seem impossibly difficult to you. And eventually, all of that stuff that sounded like nonsense when you first got there will start to click in your brain. It may be something really small, like understanding a word in the middle of a complicated overheard conversation, but that’s still a step forward.

And finally, most importantly, this is a year of your life. It is amazing and beautiful and full of moments that will take your breath away, but it is also just a year of your life. Don’t expect every moment to be filled with parties and adventures and never-ending fun. Yes, there will be adventures to tell amazing stories about when you get home, more than we can ever dream of having had back in Florida. But there will be days when it’s very hard for you, and also days that are just that– normal days. You will learn to find joy and inspiration in simple moments like biking around town with your friends, making pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving with your host family, or jumping on a trampoline in the rain. It sounds cliche, but it’s the little things that really make your year.

So, all in all, it’s been a whirlwind of a time here…. but alles gute!

Liebe aus Deutschland (love from Germany)!

September 11, 2013

To be honest, I don’t even know where to start. I have been here for two weeks now and it just seems so unreal. In order to get here I had to take a flight to New York then from New York to Tokyo then a domestic flight to Komatsu. I was beyond frantic because once I arrived in Tokyo I only had two hours to get on board my domestic flight. Those two hours worried me more then anything; I didn’t know if it would be enough time to go through immigration and customs, get my luggage, check in, and find my way to the gate. It doesn’t help that whenever I thought of Narita Airport, I pictured the typical crowded and confusing airport. Thank god to my surprise, it was very simple and easy and I actually ended up having more then enough time waiting at the gate to get on board. The last plane trip wasn’t that long and arriving at Komatsu I had a welcome sign and host club head officials as well as all of my future host families there. It was a great chance to meet everyone and finally get the opportunity to practice that Japanese I’ve been learning for the past few months!

Despite the hectic first day, the ones to come along beyond that have been truly amazing. Each day I feel like I’ve learned a new fun fact on Japanese culture. Since I live in Kanazawa, it still takes grand part in the traditional life, but as all great cities go the modern tune has joined in as well. From having my host family show me all the shrines and temples or just driving somewhere and pointing stuff along the way. It simply amazes me how beautiful of a city Kanazawa is and that Rotary did a good job picking it out for me!

Starting high school in Japan… makes me wish I wasn’t staying here for just a year. The teachers are beyond helpful and all have gone out of there way to introduce themselves individually. For some reason I keep getting assigned to draw their face and write their name in order for me to make sure I don’t forget them. I guess they planned that out between each other. The students are super friendly I was not expecting that. I always read and heard how Japanese are timid but kind. Well maybe my high school was an exception because the kids are always trying to talk to me or coming up randomly to say Hello or Kawaii! It didn’t take me long to learn that kawaii was a compliment and I didn’t have something wrong with me. The girls and boys always try to include me in things and show me my way around as well as introduce me to more students in the school. Since you never actually switch classes like America, it’s actually the teachers that switch room; yo ur classmates never change. I began to realize that the class acts like a family, everyone picks on each other or is comfortable with one another. My class, my new friends, have been more then accepting and welcoming to their foreign newcomer.

Another new group of friends are the inbound students from other parts of the US, Canada, and Australia. There was an inbound orientation and finally I got to meet everyone. It was fun to mention things that shocked us coming to Japan and several small experiences that went on that we could all relate. The rotex took us to hang out after our inbound orientation and we went to go do karaoke. May I just mention, that I have always wanted to go with a group of friends and do karaoke ever since I’ve seen it in anime. As we waited for our room, we took our time in the game center just a floor below. As any group of teenagers that just came to Japan, we went first to their photo booths. Something I realized right away, depending on the photo booth it kind of edits the photo itself. The one we went in had some sort of model with pink lipstick so once the photo was taking everyone had pretty pink lips… even the boys. Also our eyes suddenly stand out and our skin looks lighter and perfect. To go even further there is a green screen as the background and once you’re done you can continue to write on the photos add eye lashes and stickers to it before you print it. It made more some very hysterical pictures but even more great memories. It was these sort of little things and great enjoyments that remind me how blessed I am to become part of a new culture, whether traditional or modern, and how many fun and learning things I have ahead for me.

February 4, 2014

みんなさんこんにちは! 久しぶり! That means hello everyone, long time no see in Japanese. I’m incredibly sorry that I have taken such a long hiatus in between writing my journals. Japan never lets me have a break. A lot has changed since I first came here, I can honestly say I have adjusted to the lifestyle very quickly. I have definitely tried a lot of food that I would never imagine getting even an inch close to my mouth, but that’s the fun part of exchange, always try new things. I’ll have to admit I was never a big fan of seafood before coming to Japan, but since it is a large part of the culture I have been willing to change my mind. Certain foods have surprisingly won me over but others seem to stay in the ‘do not touch’ section. That’s okay though to any future outbound, it’s more the fact that you tried it out and gave it a chance.

Right now I am living with my second family, the Nakamuras, following my previous family, the Dois. Both are very understanding and have helped me come a long way. Japanese culture is a complex culture as well as very traditional. Many don’t seem to realize this and only think of the high tech gadgets and colorful anime-looking girls they see on TV. That is by far the worst expression you can get from Japan. Japan is modernizing itself day by day but it remains true to it’s values and continues to teach the following generation respect and modesty.

Going into school life, the beginning of each period when the teacher walks in we must bow all at once. The same thing goes along at the end of the period when the teacher walks out. When you pass any teacher in the hallway, you greet them in polite Japanese rather then casual Japanese that you use with your friends (even if they aren’t any of your teachers). The teachers, especially your homeroom, are much more involved with your life and will constantly keep in contact with your family or send things home. My homeroom teacher has created a strong bond with all of the students in my class and unites us all. We eat lunch in the classrooms rather than in a large cafeteria. I use to eat lunch with some girls in my class but by the third month I started eating lunch with the girls in class 2-3. I feel like that change was actually a good thing, it expanded my horizons beyond just my homeroom class.

I joined the girl basketball team here in Japan. When people hear of Japanese students, they solely think about studious and hardworking teenagers. I think you’d be pretty surprise how serious they take sports. The girl’s basketball team practices everyday after school, varying upon which day of the week makes it longer or shorter time period. We practice 5 hours in the morning on Saturday and Sunday and only have a selected amount of days off from time to time. Luckily my coach is very understanding and allows for me to take some days off when I’m going on a trip or have rotary meeting to go to. It sounds really hard and time consuming, believe me it is, but with this I have grown into another family. The girls in the basketball team are like sisters to me, we get on each others nerves and also cheer each other on. They are the ones that gave me a court name ( a single kanji in which will be easier to call out during practice and games) Bibi. The kanji for my name Bibi is only Bi 美 and means beautiful. I’m more than flattered that I was given that kanji and actually have it on all of my school uniform and practice wear.

Somehow my court name Bibi and kanji writing has been spread around the school, suddenly everyone calls me Bibi anywhere I go. I’m so grateful for all the friends I have made in all of the classes and can’t help but smile when someone calls out Bibi and says hello. I have had my share of pictures being taken and ‘i love you’ haha. Some of the best ones was when we had an indoor sports tournament in my school and when I was playing dodge ball for my class, the boy soccer team of my school kept cheering Bibi. I have really grown to love all of them and really hurts that I’m almost halfway into my exchange.

In contrast to many of the students in my district, my school gave me a unique schedule where I have Japanese tutors every day of the week and also a free computer time in order to study. Recently they also added me into art classes. Women basketball is taken very seriously and it is difficult to attend both club meetings. We all luckily reached a compromise and I attend art classes now during the day with sanenseis (3rd years). In Japanese culture, it is rare to be in more than one club. Mainly because once you are apart of a club, you dedicate yourself, your time, and your effort to the club. As I continue to repeat the word, club, as they call everything by rather than sports being called teams. A club has meetings and practices all year long rather than seasons. Something that definitely surprised me. Luckily for me, practicing basketball everyday also means losing all the extra weight I put on from eating so much Japanese food haha.

Just with the past couple of months, I have had my fair share of traveling. I have been able to visit so many cities near and far and the famous Kyoto has finally been crossed off the list. I’ve ventured upon ancient villages still kept intact, golden temples, one of the largest shrines, one of the largest buddha statues, one of the largest mountains, and it goes on and on.

I’m actually preparing for my trip to Hiroshima, Osaka, and more. Not long after that is my school trip to Tokyo that I get to spend with my group of friends non stop! I’m excited for whats in store. I’m simply blessed and thankful for being given this opportunity and get reminded that every day that passes in this outstanding country. I’ll keep you posted soon, I got more adventures to take on!

July 30, 2013

How can one begin to explain the feeling of being in another country, completely separated from everything they know? Language, customs, food, weather, the world becomes reinvented and every detail becomes not only important but also captivating. Last night around 11:00 P.M. local time I arrived in the beautiful country of Perú and got my first taste of what it means to be an exchange student.

Full of anxiety and excitement I found my way through customs, baggage claim and finally to finding my host family. My first moments in Perú were filled with “Welcome Home” balloons and enough hugs to fill a lifetime. It was the moment I had waited for, 10 months in the making I was standing in front of my host family, speaking the language and realizing that in this new world I was completely at the mercy of my wit and curiosity. All of my new lessons to be learned couldn’t be helped by my past experience because my new home is very different then the one I left. There was one thing however that I discovered will always be the same no matter what country I am in: people care for each other, they look out for one another and although I was full of nerves and anxiety my family knew that and helped me feel right at home. Today was Peruvian Independence Day and I could not think of a better way to start becoming Peruvian then watching La parada militar with my host dad and brother. I wish I had the words to describe what it feels like to become a part of another culture, but I guess that’s why it is such an incredible experience to be an exchange student, especially in a country as special as Perú.

I can’t explain waking up and having un cafe con leche with my family and chatting about what the day will bring. Or having lunch en La bistecca, a famous restaurant here in San Borja Sur. Tonight I met my first Peruvian friends and its funny how much we already get along, they remind me of so many of my friends back home and yet in new ways they are completely different. The food, sights, and sounds of Peru are incredible and I couldn’t be more thankful for what Rotary has done. If you are a student reading this please take it form me: this experience is well worth it in every way… I know this is only my first full day but I promise you that all of the activities and assignments are well worth it! I remember my first informational meetings, my first interview with my home club, cherish the entire process because it will make memories for you that you will never forget.

Every time I turn around there is something new. A new sight, sound, friend, memory, it is hard to believe that after one day I could be filled with so much emotion. It truly is the little things in life that make all the difference and I am very certain that this adventure is just beginning; the real fun is just starting. Now that I am here it will probably be a little while before I send another blog. There is much to do for me to become Peruvian and I think its time I got started! Tomorrow my friends and I are going to a movie, and it is hard to explain how something I am so used to could now be a life long memory. Thank you Rotary for this opportunity, thank you mom, dad, and Samuelito for everything you have helped me with I know we are always going to be family and I love you guys incredibly. And finally thank you to all of the Rotarians here in Perú… without your help and dedication I would not be sitting where I am right now. Its time for me to go and begin this adventure with all of the love and support that my life has blessed me with! ¡Viva Perú!

 August 22, 2013

Hard to believe really that it was more than three weeks ago that I stepped off my flight to Lima Peru and walked out into a new world. Now it almost seems like a dream coming here, as if it wasn’t even real. Then again after more than three weeks with a new family, school, city, and country I guess that feeling can almost be expected by any voyager who has left there home in search of something truly important: adventure. Much has happened since my last entry so I won’t drag on the sentimental peace for all of you readers who are busy at work or school! The last note on my thought process here would be that Peru is growing more like home to me and the quaint differences between my lives in Florida and here in Lima are becoming just a part of my existence here. I can’t change them so I adapt and smile knowing that at the end of this year my customs in Florida will be the ones who seem different to me! Anyway on to business matte rs!

First and foremost my biggest change since my first week journal has been that I am now in School here in Lima! A very good private school named San Ignacio de Recalde. With a Green and cream colored uniform, school song (which happens to be slightly catchy), and rotating teachers instead of students it was very easy to see the changes I would be making between my new school and Creekside Highschool, the one I left back home. I have over 10 different classes including different Maths, Sciences, Language and literature classes (Spanish obviously), Dance, Gym, Civics, and of course History! *A short side note on the dance class, the guys in this class learn traditional Latin Dances and a fellow inbound and I are learning a dance from the traditional ranchers of Peru, some of the most fun I have ever had! I find my classmates to be great people and the teachers are all extremely caring for all of the students making sure that everyone (including the exchange students in my class ) know what we are doing everyday. The first day of school the Director announced us as Cultural Ambassadors from different countries here in Peru to learn what there is to learn and live what there is to live. Its very hard to describe the significance of what he said on all of us who heard it, it reminded us just what it is were doing here.

Outside of school my life has expanded here in Lima and everyday it seems that life is taking me off into some new adventure with friends or family! The food, music, people, and atmosphere of Peru as a whole is incredible and I am positive that there is not a better country for me to do exchange with (yeah maybe a little biased ;)). My host family is incredible and my host sister and brothers have been so nice in showing me the ropes about moving around the city so that now I am doing it by myself, a feeling that seems insignificant but I promise you is very important for an exchange student! We have taken trips to Los Alamos, Barranco, La Molina, Chosica, Chincha and many more wonderful places all around Lima. The food and music here is to die for and whether it be Chicha Morada, Chifa, Bembo’s or La Bistecca I found myself with great cuisine. My life here is a Peruvian one and after that I couldn’t ask for anything more.

The language for me improves everyday and each time I speak I find myself with new vocabulary, new conversations, and new ways to branch out to the people with whom I am sharing this new world. I am becoming a part of the country not as a tourist or a foreigner, but rather as a Peruvian, perhaps that is the feeling that I will always carry with me. The Rotary camps, school, social events, are all fun don’t get me wrong and I love them. But what makes them all worth while is that I am taking part in them in a culture different then my own, I am finding new customs, new connections with where I am, and I am writing a new story that one day I will be able to tell in full to all of the wonderful people who have supported me.

Thank you to my family, friends back home, Rotarians hear in Peru and back home in Florida, my fellow inbounds, and now my fellow Peruvians. Through all of you and through the help of the Lord I am here living the adventure I have always dreamed. I have been blessed with so much during my life, may I never forget the love that has been shown to me both here and at home. Until our next meeting my friends!

September 4, 2013

Vivir es dar cuenta a las experiencias de la vida, recordar los momentos increíbles, y compartir su aventura con el resto del mundo. Si se hace eso entonces es imposible no disfrutar las cosas básicas que existen en cada oportunidad… especialmente las oportunidades de un año de intercambio. Eso fue mi meta para este año acá en Perú y hasta este momento todo ha pasado con energía, amistad, y el amor entre personas de países diferentes. Les he dicho las cosas de mi mente pero ahora es el tiempo para compartir las cosas “raras” que existen en esta cultura… en mi nueva casa aquí en Lima.

So you think you know Perú? Well that’s what I used to think to so if you find yourself thinking this then please sit back, keep all hands and feet in the chair, and enjoy the ride!

Peruvians I must say are some of the most loving people I have encountered and if you ever decide to come down to this incredible country you will learn pretty quick that personal space is a thing of the past and everyone starts becoming your best friend rather quickly. When you first meet someone in public it is courtesy to kiss them on the cheek granted the two people are both women, or one of them is a women, normally two guys give a firm hand shake and a warm “¡Hola!” to start the conversation. This is true even at formal meetings like Rotary Reunions where its respectful to meet and greet every person before the meeting starts and somewhat disrespectful to leave someone out!! And I do mean EVERY person! 😀 Here in Perú its best you forget embarrassment because people don´t really judge you for the little mistakes you make, they understand we’re all human and they are really quick to forgive! One of the really comforting things I have found out about my new home! In school the story is roughly the same, the people are incredibly nice, sarcastic, and love great humor, they really love enjoying life and for me that’s really refreshing! We make jokes, work on assignments, have some hilarious conversations with the teachers and at the end of the day it really feels like I am a part of that class, and they´re some of my really good friends here in Lima which is why I will never forget some of the little ins and outs of Peru that they’ve taught me!

In my house if you enjoy your good health then you better greet my host mom when you get to the house and always say goodbye when you leave with a kiss on the cheek and a quick ¨¡Chao!! That’s just a rule of thumb for my house and if you don´t…. well you can expect to hear about it later! ☺ My house is one of the warmest places I think I have been and I don´t mean temperature-wise obviously (although we are in the middle of winter here in Lima so some warmth would be nice!) but rather just in spirit, my host mom, brothers and Dad always ask me how my day at school was and it seems like it hasn´t taken them long at all to really “get” me. It seems like even now they understand my personality and what type of Intercambista I am, which goes a long way and I don´t really feel like a foreigner in our house anymore, I feel like a brother, and a son to them which is exactly what they told me I was! “Ahora hijo, no er es gringo, eres Nuevo Peruano con nosotros!” those were the words that my friends and family told me a few weeks into my exchange, welcoming me into “being Peruvian” with them! My older brother Julio is a soccer playing star who´s always looking to help someone out and I really couldn´t ask for a better older brother! He started taking me out my first week and because of that I´ve got the confidence and the know how to do some exploring, make some memories, and really become a part of Peru and the city life here in Lima!

Well the weather here is something to behold I tell you and it changes as quickly as some people change their minds when you start driving into different regions of Lima! As of right now its Winter and that means cold, windy, and not a whole lot of sun with the exception of a few days here and there when we´ve seen it peek through the clouds over the mountains! I wear a lot of undershirts, sweatshirts, and of course my Peruvian “Chullo” a traditional hat here in Peru with its colorful Alpaca and Llama designs, a real trademark here in my country! In about 2 months we should be getting into summer and I´m already excited! Although winter really hasn’t been too bad, coming from the blistering heat of the sunshine state a little cold air and some mist has been something different and fun for me!

Well if you ever wanted to live life on the edge you should come down and see the traffic in Lima, its probably one of the biggest differences between my country back home and my new found love here in Peru. We have over 8 million people and it definitely shows, living here in metropolis is slightly different then my little suburbia of Saint Johns country and watching the cars drive bumper to bumper with no rhyme or reason at first made me scratch my head but now is something I have really come to enjoy! Every car ride seems like a roller coaster and traffic laws are not exactly the norm so when you are riding in a car, hold on to your hat! What I love most about being in Peru is that the mindset of our culture is to really make your own way, live your own life, and enjoy what you find important everyday! Friends, family and memories are the true “measuring sticks” so to speak of the happiness down here and Peruvians enjoy a very rich cultural history, something that they take great pride in. Here in our country “being Peruvian” is a great honor and something to be very proud of! Life here is dominated by public transportation and it really is the lifeline of the city, if you want to go somewhere its time for a bus, combi (my personal preference) or a taxi! I think what you really need here, not only to duck and dive in between morning traffic but also just to exist here in Lima is some real grit, you need to have some confidence in what you’re doing and who you are because being in the big city there are some times where you need to keep things under control and make the best of a situation. As long as you do that, you live with energy and passion, and respect the language and historical culture of this country then you will not only like Peru, you´ll fall in love with it like I have. It really becomes a part of you and you realize that you’re changing even if you can’t see the immediate effect s yet!

I couldn’t be more happy or feel more at home than here in Peru, of all the countries in the world I could have been sent to it brings me the greatest joy to sing our anthem, wave the red and white of our flag, and remember that this place will always be a second home to me. The adventure has one month under its belt and already I’ve got enough memories to keep me busy for a year! It will be awhile before I write again and perhaps the most important thing to remember is that life doesn’t exist in a camera’s photo or the page of a book, its in the everyday differences you make and the wonderful things that you see. As they say in Perú: Chao! And of course

¡Viva Perú!

October 5, 2013

Perú… ¿Cómo puedo describirte en más palabras de que ya he dicho? Cada día yo paso acá en este maravilloso país se encuentra más fácil ver tu cultura, sentir el ritmo de tu corazón, y entender más de que significa ser Peruano. No quiero salir de ti y cuando imagino estar en otro país me da pena. Cuando una persona dice Perú yo sonrío porque yo sé bien que estoy acá en el país más bonito del mundo. Gracias a ti por todo, mas de dos meses y ya me siento parte de la patria, parte de ti.

¡Hola a todos! Obviamente este es mi blog y sé que hace mucho tiempo que publiqué algo pero por fin estoy listo para contarles como pasa acá en Lima, y en general, en el Perú. Por favor quédense en sus asientos porque tengo mucho para decirles ☺ ¡Empecemos!

Hi everyone!!! It’s been awhile huh? (I apologize if my English is bad… its starting to decline pretty quickly these days which for my Spanish is a great sign!) Well I promise you all that it has been a great part of the plan and now that I have held the suspense for about a month now I think its time to inform everyone how the trip is going, how this incredible country is changing everything me and at the same time reminding me deep down the person I am! Everyday is something completely new and I love it so much I could not be happier to be in this beautiful country with these amazing people and this vivid, colorful, loving culture! Well a lot of crazy and wonderful things have happened since I last wrote to you so I think its time I got started!

First thing first, my language learning has hit hit a huge learning curve and started to floor through the roof. Now switching between English and Spanish is becoming harder and harder, hearing instructions in Spanish is by far easier then English and I am definitely seeing fluency development at a very very exciting pace! Through a lot of hard work at home before this trip and during my time here in Peru my Spanish has increased nearly ten-fold and at every turn I see new benefits come from that, whether it be simply talking to strangers, Rotarians, my classmates, or my host family I am just loving being able to communicate so much and it is mostly for that I am feeling so at home here in Peru, I don’t feel like a stranger because the people aren’t seeing me as a stranger, (If you are excited about joining Rotary then this should definitely be something that gets you excited!) Of course I have had my translation mishaps like everyone else! Which have been some of my favorite memories here in Peru! Everyday is new vocab, new grammar, street slang or Jerga as we call it down here! The tempo has become 10,000 times easier just being down here and when I speak I realize that I am speaking very very quickly even if it doesn’t feel that way! I am so excited about everything going on with the Spanish here and it is such a beautiful language I know I will be bringing it back with me to my home in the U.S. and I know it will always be a part of my life, I will never forget it because it represents such a crucial part of my “Peruvianness”!

Okay so now we start getting into the last couple of weeks since my last posting! Well I don’t know about other countries and what they are able to do through Rotary in their countries but I do know that here in Peru we have incredible opportunities to do amazing things that other students might not be fortunate enough to take part in. Nearly two weeks ago we were able to visit the National Congress of the Republic and meet representatives from one of the most powerful bodies in the entire country as well as meet the vice president of the Congress himself! When we entered the Congressional offices I hardly knew what to think, I was inside one of the most historically important buildings in the entire history of my new country, it gave me chills just to realize the history wrapped up in such a place. I really don’t know how to describe the feeling of taking part in an event like that which we did in the congress, we were presented to the congressional members by co untry, we were able to take pictures with them and we even received pins for our blazers and copies of the Peruvian constitution from the Vice President of the Congress! That day in the congress I did something that I don’t believe I will ever forget. On behalf of my country, my family, my state, and myself I presented the Vice President with a gift on National television in Peru. I gave to him a book of American Statesmen that had been printed in 1942 and when I handed him that small but humble sign of respect between my country and his he told me that as a student, person, and as an ambassador I was representing my country well and he finished be telling me that with people like me the future peace of our generations will be met. How could I begin to describe to anyone the feelings I had. With all of the emotions that were running through me I thanked him, told him that I would accept such a challenge with all the heart I could, smiled, and returned to my seat. I gue ss you could call that a “Rotary Moment” one of those special times where you remember just how much you mean to the name of your country and what your actions really say about where you come from. I will never be able to forget such an experience and I know it is something that will always remind me of just how big and connected the world is!

Well it wasn’t long after that trip to the congress that I began my first trip as an Exchange student inside of the beautiful country of Peru! Our first destination was to the South where we would visit several key beautiful places in such an amazing country! Arequipa, Colca, Tacna, and Arica (Chile) all made the list of our first Viaje and it was in these places that we really gained a feel for what being Peruvian really was. We left last Thursday, which feels like a year ago now, and I think it was worth every hour of lost sleep that we left the house at 3:30 A.M. to be at the Airport in Callao. When we all arrived at the check-in I don’t think our feelings could have been more excited! I was so anxious to see the world outside of the Middle Western Coast, which I had become so fond of, and go visit some of the most historical and cultural sites in the whole country!

Our first day was our trip to El Cañón de Colca a huge canyon that runs down the south of Peru in the Sierra. We flew first to Arequipa, which is the second largest and most important city in the entire country. From Arequipa we took a several hour bus ride to Colca, which in reality is a series of towns that is scattered at different sites along the canyon. The elevation of the canyon was about 16,000 ft so altitude sickness at first for a lot of our group was very common, the air was thin, and water was an absolute necessity as was chewing the traditional Coca leaf. Since the Pre-Incan period of the highlands Coca leaves have been chewed because of their help in respiration. When we stopped at one of the small stores in Colca we were recommended to buy several small bags. Not exactly the tastiest item but they definitely did the trick. Usually you place three or four small leaves in a small bunch, and then you fold them together and place them in one side of y our jaw kind of like gum. When you chew you don’t swallow the leaves, just the natural liquid inside and it’s this liquid that helps you breathe at much higher elevations. Everything in Colca was made from Coca: tea, candies, the leaves themselves, everything. It had been and is currently used by the people of that area to battle altitude sickness. In Colca we found several incredible examples of Peruvian wildlife, which truly represent so much of the history and culture here. Llamas are obviously very well known here In Peru and around the world it seems to be a very common fact that they can be found in numerous places here in Peru where they used to be used as beasts of burden. However several other animals maybe less known to the world exist in this great country. Alpacas (perhaps the more traditional and cultural form of the Llama) the Andean Condor (one of the largest birds flying birds found in the world), and the Vicuña (the oldest descendent of bo th the Llama and Alpaca) all roam the Sierra and great highlands of the country.

The first day we drove from Arequipa to Colca we saw a lot, numerous Vicuñas and Llamas in the wild stretches of the highlands and as I watched the great mountains and deserts of the Cordillera pass by us I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic, the place by which we were passing was incredibly old and far more ancient then we could ever have imagined. People had been connecting to the those hills as a source of life for thousands of years and numerous families and communities were following the same traditions there ancestors did so long ago. That night we ended up in our hotel/paradise. Built in to the side of the canyon our lodging was situated near the bottom of a deep valley and laid right next to a runoff of the River Colca. With naturally fed thermal pools found next to the river it was one of the beautiful places I have seen. We enjoyed singing some songs as a huge group that night around the huge fire pit that had been made in the center of all of the rooms.

We had over 6 languages spoken between us and yet we all sang and that night is going to be a memory I will always have as an exchange student! After the fire that night we all got on the bus to go to a small restaurant in the center of town where not only did we taste traditional food of the canyon (I personally got to try an Alpaca Steak which was amazing!!) but we also got to witness traditional dances performed by several traditional Andean dancers. It was incredible and I could hardly believe my eyes when they pulled me out of the crowd to go dance with them! I heard a great cheer from my Rotary Group and there I was dancing traditional Peruvian dances in the middle of the Andean Highlands… How could I describe it more?

The next day we went to the Cruz del Condor, a viewing point for Andean Condors in the area. What an experience! Situated at one of the higher points of the canyon we were able to hike around the cliffs and we actually did get to see one of the condors. What a beautiful creature! With great contrasts of black and white in its plumage the Andean Condor is one of the most amazing birds I have seen! The Condor was once seen as a God amongst the Andean peoples before the arrival of the Spaniards and rain was believed to be one of the gifts it was thought to bring which gave life in the form of crops and grasses for grazing animals. In some parts the Condor, Mountains, and Rivers are believed to be Gods and especially in the area of Colca there are numerous traditional beliefs that still maintain great popularity!

After our time in Colca and the Canyon of the Condor we soon packed up our things and traveled to Arequipa the second largest and most important city in all of Peru. Known for its great agriculture and historical importance, Arequipa represents the largest influence of politics and culture outside of Lima. It was here that we got to visit several historical sites like the Plaza de Armas, Monasterio de Santa Catalina, La Catedral de Arequipa, la casa del Fundador, and so much more. Also it was in Arequipa that we were given free time, a couple of hours were given to us over several days of the trip to go out by ourselves to experience Arequipa and with my group we had an amazing time visiting several historical sites, tasting the local cuisine, and really getting a feel for the city!!! Each site brought something new and it was such an amazing time just to be able to spend sometime with some of my best friends in the world here in Peru, they are like my family and I will neve r be able to forget any of them! We all have so much in common and just being able to spend time with other world travelers who are ready for anything is just incredible, I couldn’t ask for anything more and I couldn’t help but smile when I was with them during the entire trip. They are always going to be there and that is something truly exciting and special about Rotary Youth Exchange.

Arequipa is settled between the Volcanic Mountains of Misti, Chanchani, and Pichu Pichu (or the sleeping Indian)! In these mountains several years ago was found a mummy so well known here in Peru and throughout the world that it has been described as one of the best preserved specimens of mummies in the world! Nicknamed “Juanita” we were able to visit her museum in Arequipa! The city was not only an anthropological symbol but represented also one of the turning points of the Pacific war between Chile and Peru. Arequipa was one of the final advances of the Chilean Army before they were turned back towards the south. All in all Arequipa is a mix of traditional cultural ideas and modern concepts; it was really an amazing place to visit!

Proceeding from Arequipa we travelled about 6 hours by bus to the south to the desert town of Tacna, which lies very very close to the Peruvian-Chilean border! The sun was always out, and the city was definitely in the desert environment, outside of the city were giant sand dunes as far as the eye could see and I realized just how harsh the Cordillera could be to someone that was trying to survive it without being in a city like Tacna. In Tacna we visited numerous cultural cites like El teatro municipal, El ferrocarril, and so much more also traveling to the Plaza de Armas de Tacna and the Catedral which had been partially rebuilt since an earthquake struck the city some years ago. The night we arrived in the city we were welcomed by Rotary club of Tacna to a dinner that everyone enjoyed, it was a great blessing to be brought in by the different clubs who were willing to help provide food for nearly 40 Exchange students!

The next morning we had to be up very early because we crossed the border into Chile (a process which took nearly 2 and half hours)! Now you see there has always been this great Rivalry between Chile and Peru since the War of the Pacific in which Chile took territory from Peru and then Bolivia. When we entered the border no more than 100 yards from the border control offices we began to sing the Peruvian National Anthem together as a whole. The sound of it gave me chills! There we were, mixed group of students from over 7 different countries all-residing in Peru and we were singing our new home’s Anthem in the borders of her rival! We were all filled with a tremendous Patriotism in that moment for Peru and it was such a gift to be a part of. We realized then how much we loved Peru and how it had become our home. When we went into Chile we visited the city of Arica, which was a historical battleground between the two countries in the 19th century. Chile was a beautiful c ountry with a great climate and a beautiful coast but I don’t think it can compare to the beauty of Peru <3 ☺ .We visited several museums and we were able to pass through several artesanía shops in the city in order to buy some souvenirs.

Finally after one more day in Tacna after our day in Chile we returned home to Lima last night. After so much travel, tours, dinners, official Rotary events, and in overall just fun I cam back to Lima as happy as I could possibly be because after a trip like the one I have just taken I can’t help but feel closer to my fellow exchange students and my new home.

Everything in Peru is just going as well as it possibly could and for that I must be so thankful. The language, like I told you all earlier, is running so smoothly and everything is falling into place just like I thought it would at this stage of the game! The weather is getting nicer as we turn into summer here and I actually have a week of vacations after this weekend because last week were exams! My friends in my Colegio are amazing, friendly, and funny, and I couldn’t think of not being in San Ignacio de Recalde. This coming week I have no idea what my plans are and yet I am very okay with that, really my mindset (and the mindset in general here) is to let your worries go, try your best and enjoy yourself, which has been something I have really held on to. Just being here in Lima and in Peru in general has me so excited and I could never thank Rotary enough for what they have done as well as all of the people back home which have made this possible for me, whether t hey be teachers, friends, family, anyone who I can thank I am going to because this is a life changing experience in everyway and I couldn’t be more blessed to be here! I have so much to tell you guys about everything that is going on here but I suppose I will stop there and let you take a breather! Next time I will give you another “Cultural Update”! Until then I hope that everyone has a wonderful time! As for me I’m going to keep living this Peruvian life, learning what it truly means to be a part of my new culture, and loving every second of it. Until we talk again everyone! ¡Chao, y Viva Perú! <3

October 28, 2013

Perú… tan bonito es su bandera, el pendón bicolor de rojo y blanco. Los Andes se quedan en su tierra tan bonita, maravillosa, llena de historia y tradición. Espero recordar este país tan importante y su belleza para siempre. De la selva, la Cordillera, la sierra, dentro de todo se encentra nuestro orgullo de ser Peruanos… ¡Viva Perú!

(Spanish in Progress…Please excuse the English Mistakes!)

Well today is a very very special day for my journey here in the beautiful country of Perú. Today is my official third month mark for being here and I really didn´t know where to start trying to describe it. So much has happened, so much has changed in three short months and it is so hard for me to try and explain everything and anything that has happened here! There´s simply too much Perú for a blog like this!

Lima, and what I really love about this place is that in every street and corner you can find more of the amazing Peruvian culture we enjoy here. After the trip last month I returned to my colegio to reintegrate myself with being back here in Lima instead of out and about in the countrysides of this great country. Unfortunately things here are still a little cold and damp as we are just starting to move into spring! However we have had our first few days of sun here in Lima and when it comes out everything definitely changes! We are extremely close to the equator so obvious the sun is much stronger here than it was even in the Sunshine State of Florida! As we get to see more and more of Summer weather we all begin wishing more and more that it was December so we could swim, surf, and enjoy the beautiful climate here in Peru.

School life has been very very very entertaining and a great experience for me! My classmates are awesome and hilarious which makes every class funny and a new experience for all of us. The teachers here joke around a lot too which is a lot of fun because they really do a good job of being friendly with the students and that is one particular difference that I think there is between the United States school system and our program here in Perú. The schools are slightly smaller here in Lima because they are private, so the student’s don’t have as many in each class and everyone gets to know each other a lot more! That part of school I am really enjoying! Kids in the same grade level all know each other and yeah I am sure you´re probably saying ¨well that’s easy if they only have 10 kids! ¨ But actually our grade has over 100 students and yet everyone seems to be good friends! Likewise we don´t have nearly as many problems with the &u ml;norms of highschool: Drama, fights, people really disliking each other, we really don´t see as much of that here in my School of San Ignacio de Recalde and so it is really a friendly place to be! I also have a few Rotary Youth Exchange students that I have gotten to know really well and that has been a lot of fun to kind of discover all of this together with them! My best friends in school are absolutely incredible people and they are what I would like to call the “Traviesos” because they are snappy, sarcastic, funny, and I would miss them in a heartbeat! We always have a lot of fun no matter what class we are in and I always talk to them when there is something on my mind. Great people and some of my best memories have been from my School!

Speaking of a great times I got to have one of the most important days of my life celebrated here in Peru, and let me tell you, what a day! My 18th birthday was this past Friday and I wish I was lying when I write that the party started at 12:01 that morning and ended at 8 the next night! 😀 Peruvians pretty much are allowed to do everything at 18 which is why that it is such a big age to celebrate here, and I really got to see that in full form this past weekend! It all started at midnight that Friday morning! I woke up to someone tapping me on the shoulder and before I even know what was happening my entire family was in my bedroom singing me happy birthday in Spanish and very broken English! They brought me a chocolate cake and at 12:30 we were all eating as a family celebrating my “coming of age” in Peruvian culture, it was so much fun just to be there, just to realize what extent my family had gone through to remind me that even in a different continent then my home, I was still in a house where I was loved and that feeling can’t have a price tag, absolutely unforgettable. There is something about that situation, that no matter what language you hear the song in, you remember the most important things in life and that was what was so impressive about that moment, just how much love, and caring I saw from my family, even if I wasn’t their son by blood, it didn’t matter at all, they loved me all the same and for that I thank Rotary for showing me that moment because it is on that short list which will always be remembered.

After about an hour of eating cake, making jokes, and simply having a good time we all got back into bed at about 1:30 and that morning I had school so I had to get up at 6! The party continued at school the next day and I was really able to see what “friends” really mean here. In the United States usually the person who is celebrating brings some food, drinks, enough for us to have a party, relax and enjoy. Here in Peru, the person having the party is not expected to bring anything, its their day being celebrated and that’s why its not there job to bring food, or drinks for the others, its their day to enjoy! Now here too I got to see something extremely heartwarming, my best friends at school all prepared for that day and during our Recreo we had a birthday party with a chocolate cake, Inka Cola, Chips, cookies, the works and I was honestly surprised at how much they were really willing to spend for someone else. Back home that is one thing that I have alw ays wished for, just a little bit more of an open mind in our culture to spend money for other people sometimes, and that’s why that party having a good time with my friends really showed me something culturally significant about my new home! When I was making my birthday wish we moved on to our next tradition regarding birthdays! When a person is celebrating they have to take a bite of the cake as a whole, when they do this everyone has to push their whole face into the cake! After having my head smashed into a delicious chocolate cake I brought my face up with a complete chocolate mask just in time for a photo with all of my friends!

Up to this point it had been a fantastic day and it just got better! That night my host family asked me what I wanted for dinner and we had a huge feast with Polla a La Brasa (a famous chicken dish) with Rice, French fries, a salad, and a nice glass of red wine! It was incredible to be able to share such memories with my family and the stories we told and laughed about will always stay with me. Simply a great birthday and with me I had my best friend here in Peru Emilie from Denmark whom my parents encouraged me to invite. With a great friend, a tremendous family, and incredible food it was one of the best ways I could possibly think of ending my Cumpleaños.

The following day however the real party started! At 10 A.M. I met all of my good friends at a local spot here in Lima and we all went to play soccer with our Rotarians for a few hours before heading to lunch. It was great to get everyone together and to see our Rotary Members again, who are always ready to get back in touch with us students and see how life is going! After that and a nice lunch made by our Rotary members my counselor gave me a few gifts and they too proceeded to sing Feliz Cumpleaños! I was so happy to be with all of my good friends that I couldn´t have prepared a better afternoon! Finishing our lunch we all decided to go to the Miralfores District for some great markets and great spots to hang out and enjoy some great company as a group. After passing a few hours in Parque Kennedy we finally finished up and went our separate ways home, I got home about 8 and after two days of partying I was happier than I could possibly try to put down on paper !

Well now we have what I would like to call LAS NOTICIAS IMPORTANTÍSIMAS!!! Ok so here´s the deal, in January I will be able to travel to the very far North of Peru for a month and a half to stay with a host family in the city of Piura! 😀 A coastal city with plenty of sun, great food, and cool sites to see I am extremely excited about this rare opportunity! As my Rotary organization here in Lima has connections with other clubs throughout Peru, we were able to make the transfer and I am extremely excited to be able to travel to a city with only about 200,000 people compared to the ten million we have in Lima! The history, culture, food, will all have a much smaller influence from international powers and companies and that I am excited to see, how do the people there live differently then they do here? Are any of the perspectives different? This opportunity is truly important and very special to the kids who are here in Lima because only a few of us are going to be able to take these trips! To know another part of Lima culturally will be a tremendous time and I will be making the trip with a good friend of mine Colin from Belgium! Being able to make such a journey to the far extremes of Northwest Peru will be another once in a lifetime trip!

Well everyone that’s it for this edition of the blog! I can’t tell you all how happy I am to be here, simply to be a part of it and there isn’t a day that goes by in which I don’t think of thanking Rotary, my family, my friends, and everyone back home and here in Peru who has helped me and supported me over the last 18 years! I am the luckiest guy in the world for all the great lessons and memories you’ve given me and to repay you I am going to do everything I can to live this opportunity like the life changing venture it is! I love this country, its people, and I will always be proud to be a part of it! Thank you Rotary! ¡Viva Perú! <3

November 30, 2013

 ¡Buenas Tardes a Todos de la Ciudad bonita de Lima en el Perú! Les escribo esta vez para compartir una aventura importantísima de mi vida y también para contarles cómo pasa la vida acá en Perú. ¡Ojalá que leas esta publicación y la disfrutes completamente, saludos de Lima! ☺

Well everyone long time no see huh? I think the last time I posted was in early October so perhaps it would be a great time to play a little bit of catch up and let everyone back home know how things are going here in the beautiful city of Lima! First off this post will be a little bit of a longer writing because of the fact that our last trip to the south of this beautiful country was very long with lots of historical sites, amazing memories, and numerous cultural points that I am anxious to share with you guys! SO I promise that if you read through this, even if it is long, you will hopefully not get bored because we are going to have plenty to talk about! Alright well enough chitchat I think it’s about time I got on with it!

Well it all started the 7th of November and ended the 15th of the same month, although it might not seem like a long time you are going to learn just how much a Rotary group can do in 8 days! We kicked off our tour to the South by beginning in the ancient Capital of the Incans: Cuzco, a beautiful city with a very large amount of historical tradition and significance for the once great Incan Empire, which dominated life in in the Andes region for several centuries before the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th century! Our first stop was to the beautiful temple of Curicancha, which used to act as a traditional center of the city before it was partially destroyed by Spanish troops and renamed Santo Domingo. Here we found a very important spiritual center dedicated to the Incan gods of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, astronomical phenomena that the Incans believed guided and watched over their civilization! We saw several different types of important building styles and were taught how and why many of the structures of this great Empire appear the way they do. Continuing on our trip we visited such sites as Q’engo, Tambomachay and Saqsayhuamán, all of which held particular functions in the days of old for the bustling city of Cuzco, some acted as important agricultural sites, some as guard sites, others as the earliest forms of center for transferring information in the form of male runners who would carry goods such as seafood from the coast or information regarding other parts of the empire! It was said that a runner could run 25 Kilometers in one day and that the Incan Leader could enjoy fresh seafood brought all the way from the coast!

Our following day of adventuring was by no means less exciting than the first and as we traveled further and further into the interior of the Valle Sagrado. It became much more clear to me how the Incans believed that the world around them, the water, mountains, sun, how all of those things could be Gods for a civilization. Some of the most beautiful sites I’ve been to and simply the view was enough to take your breath away, I make no joke when you could feel just how ancient that world really was, and maybe it was just me but I tried to imagine Incan families scattered throughout those high terraced walls, living life like they had been for centuries. One of my favorite aspects of this trip as a whole was that the feeling we received from being in these sites were important for many reasons and to many people, not just people with Incan heritage, or Peruvians, but in general just as a human being it was impressive to be standing in one of our father societies, one of the largest in the two Americas, for me that feeling at times simply robbed me of words and a new sense of Peruvian patriotism swept over me, and again I realized just how much this country has become a part of me. Its not a vacation, or a simple tour, it’s a life changing experience that has changed me in some ways I can see and some ways I will never guess at. I could never be more thankful for such an opportunity, not just for this life changing trip but for receiving Peru in general because I couldn’t dream of being in another country, it is as if I was always meant to come here! Well now that I have successfully gotten off on an emotional hallmark moment let me bring it all back with the actually tour!

Alright so where was I? Oh that’s right! The Valle Sagrado was the home of some of the more famous Peruvian animals and plants including the Llama, Alpaca, Condor, Vicuña, Parrots, and Guanaco! We had the pleasure of visiting a wildlife reservation in this valley to become face to face with these beautiful creatures and learn a little bit about how conservationists are working with the government to stop illegal trading of materials like Toucan feathers, and illegally sold furs from animals such as the Guanaco and Vicuña. In the reservation we also were able to view Pumas, and get a “bird’s eye view” of some Condors! 😉 I had to try a cheesy joke at least once throughout this blog, if I didn’t how would I know you were actually reading? Well off we go again back to the straight facts! Jaja! Alright after the Valle Sagrado we went to two very important sites of Pisaq and Ollantaytambo! Pisaq was a very rich agricultural sector of the valley where the people would normally grow Corn and potatoes to keep their nutrition well balanced and healthy in the high mountain altitude. Great terraces had been built into the side of the mountains and it was said that the storehouses of Pisac were so efficient using only the sun and high mountain climate that it was calculated they could keep some vegetables fresh for up to 5 years!! That kind of makes our refrigerator look like a tin can if you ask me! Pisaq was extremely impressive and the work it took to get the terraces etched into the side of the mountains must have been incredible work, really something to appreciate because the Incans were an advanced civilization but they were still working with basic tools made of stone and wood.

Well our next city was just as important and perhaps even more so politically then Pisaq was, the next city on our Great Peruvian adventure was Ollantaytambo! Ollantaytambo served as a temporary capital for the Incan Leader Manco Inca when Pizzarro arrived and conquered the original capital of the Cuzco. For several years Manco Inca was able to defend this great city valiantly but the force of the Spaniards was too much and eventually he retreated to the final capital of the Incan Empire to Vilcabamba where he was finally defeated and the Incan empire brought to an end under Spanish domination. The city was extremely impressive and the great look it had over the mountains was nothing short of jaw dropping, it was quite clear how the incans chose it to be a capital city, it over looked a very low set valley which would have allowed Manco Inca to notice any Spanish assault ahead of time and plan accordingly! After a long day of touring, many names in Quechua, and a great Incan history lesson we were finally ready to hit the “Mack Daddy” ultimate tourist spot in Peru…. Machu Picchu!

It was a very very foggy morning from what I can remember when we left for Machu Picchu, a site that no doubt has gone a long way in changing not only my time here in Peru but life in general for me, how I look at the perspective we all find ourselves in. We were stationed in a small tourist town just at the base of the site and I remember the night before I was trying to prepare myself for the moment I had waited so long for…. What would I be able to say? Would I be able to say anything at all? The second question as you will see later on was a much fairer question, but that’s later in the story. So leaving from the small town of Machu Picchu we mounted our bus and before we could believe it we were ascending up the steep sleeps of the mountain ranges and because of the fog that was so heavy around us it felt as if we were diving right into the heavens themselves. About 20 minutes of our serpentine road and finally the bus pulls to a halt. We all got off, got our tickets punched and passport checked, and continued into the site. At first we saw almost nothing because of the density of the mist circling around us, and after several minutes of hiking the guide finally stopped us near a small ledge that overlooked the valley.

Out of the corner of our eyes a small ray of sunlight poked through the clouds and slowly as if the mists were blankets over a slumbering giant they peeled away until finally we were left with a view that at least for me will represent one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. The city of Machu Picchu, jewel of the Incan empire, sitting in the morning sun, there were no words to describe it, just a still peace and tranquility flowed through that place and there was no force I didn’t think that was going to stop it. We had the pleasure of visiting all of the temples, living quarters, and other import facilities including two very well known sites: the Incan bridge, y La Puerta Del Sol. These two sites were extremely important in maintaining the city and La Puerta del Sol acted as the only means of entrance. It was truly a tremendous city to visit and the history I truly believed was living in those walls, you could feel it when you were hiking through the variou s sections of the city, it was simply there. Now as for someone who loves history as much as I do Machu Picchu was like a kid in a candy store, the techniques they used, the equipment, the beliefs all of it was something I could and did appreciate and more than that, it was a culture I could still see continued today in some respects here in Lima and other places around Peru. Here are the truly important phenomena that this culture of the Incas is not completely gone and it helps influence all of us living here in Peru, no matter what city you are from.

Finally after a long day of touring, numerous hikes, and countless panoramic photos we returned to camp and got to take a short rest before eating and returning by train to Cuzco. After a day that started off at 5:30 in the morning I had finally seen Machu Picchu, jewel of the Incan Empire, from what I could tell it was a day very well spent and one (in my opinion) that I will never forget! The day after we were able to take a free time in the city of Cuzco and a small group of friends I find myself traveling with decided to go to the Plaza de Armas in order to really appreciate some of the beauty of the city. It was not a disappointment, the city center was stunning and of course La Catedral was situated right next to the Central building sets! Our touring in cuzco would not be over quite yet however! The following day we visited to more historic sites of Moray and Chinchero. Alright Moray first! Moray was actually a beginning laboratory for the Incas who were trying to dis cover at which temperatures and altitudes best grew the crops that they were using to sustain themselves. In order to test these variables the Incas used a system of large agricultural rings set between several medium sized valleys. By encircling each ring with in another ring in ascending order until they were at the same level with the base of the valley the Incas were able to use the temperature changes in each depression to determine at what setting best grew there needed crops. At first glance the site struck me as a religious center of some sort so it greatly surprised me and filled me with some awe when I realized how their system had worked, truly an impressive thing to see. Chinchero was not as much as a city known for any deeply made ruins, or tourist spot, it however was significant because was the city that has been found to adhere most to the traditional beliefs, languages, and religion of the Incas. In essence it is one of the closes places you are going to fin d still living as their ancestors did so many years ago. We had the pleasure of visiting a fabric-making center where 6 or 7 families lived together and they showed us some of the traditional customs of their culture deeply rooted in the Andean fashion. A very respectable sight for sure and something that I really appreciated, seeing this ancient culture in action is a moving experience I would believe for anyone who saw could see it.

Finishing our tour in Machu Picchu and thereafter in Cuzco we made our final push during our trip, this time to the city of Puno located on one of the highest lakes in the world: Lake Titicaca! About 6 hours by bus from Cuzco to Puno the trip was well worth it and the adventures that would follow the next two days would always be remembered. The first stop was the island of Taquile a very high rocky Isla that reminded me of being on the Greek isles, very beautiful! We were able to hike to the top, take plenty of beautiful pictures and then make a nice peaceful descent back down! Our second visit, which was incredibly memorable, was to the Island of Amantani. On this island we got to try something slightly different, instead of staying in a hotel that night we actually got to live with traditional families on the islands and most of them had been living in the ways of their ancestors for years. Some, like my family for example had limited electricity and only used it for a lit tle lighting, not for cooking, washing, or anything of the sort! It was truly a humbling experience to get to live with a family like that and share a historic culture with them! That night they brought all of us to the center of the Island and gave us traditional clothing because that night we were actually able to have a huge “Welcome” party that was centered on traditional dancing! I don’t know if I have ever had so much fun and I know it was a memory that I am always going to keep!

After our fun-filled dance night we made our final push on the tour, our trip to the Los Uros or better known as the “Floating Islands”. It was hard to believe but if you can try to picture a huge raft big enough for 6 families with houses, a kitchen, and everything on nothing but floating reeds situated out in the center of the Lake. That is what we saw when we first arrived and I think it had every one of our jaws dropped! It was an incredible process on how they made the islands and the was really a work of human engineering, everything was made out of this reed material that had been growing on the lake I am sure for centuries. Much of their food, boats, houses, all came from this reed and it was incredible to see how a people could actively sustain themselves with one major product, very very impressive! We were able to have lunch on the islands and enjoy the beautiful sun settled on the water. Finally after 7 or 8 days of intense travel, touring, and numerou s hotels we ended our viaje.

As a whole this entire trip really helped me understand more about this beautiful country and I was really able to see and realize the ancient routes of this culture and how customs started centuries ago can still influence our lives here. I loved it and the connection between Peru and me has never felt stronger than when what it is now after that trip and nearly four months in this incredible nation. I love it, I learn it, and I live it everyday and that for me is a complete dream to live here, speak the language and be a part of what has become my culture. I must say that I could never have asked for a better country for this program and everyday I stay here my life becomes more and more changed in the best way possible. In two days I will be here for four months…. My how time flies when you’re changing your life… ¡Viva Perú! ¡La nación de mi corazón! Te amo Perú <3

January 5, 2014

Its wonderful and yet dreadful how time flies isn’t it? It certainly doesn’t seem like a little over five months since that cold Peruvian winter night in which I landed in Lima, Perú. It’s nearly impossible to believe that I have been through so much here, in so many ways I have changed and I would like to think that those changes are all for the better. Perú has been the biggest self “remapping” project in my lifetime and I must say that even though there have been ups and downs, in the end I see the life I led returning stronger than it could have ever been without this year abroad. One thing I notice is just how different our exchanges are as exchange students and yet at the same time how similar. We all face different challenges that take on different forms, and yet in the end we solve those problems in the same way using: determination, optimism, reflection, and a drive to change where we are a nd what we are doing for the better. Exchange students can be some of the most inspiring friends and family you can have because there comes a moment when you realize that you have surrounded yourself with people who believe that they can make a difference in the world and more importantly they have STARTED DOING IT!

Things have been incredible while I have been here in Perú and I could never be more thankful for that, it has become my home and I cannot imagine leaving (which is why I have distanced myself from thinking of June and July!), it has become the country I know and my “home away from home” has been found and I have never been happier than I am right now. During one of those most important family times of the year I am away from my own, away from my country, and yet I am having the time of my life. Now that doesn’t mean I don’t miss my parents, grandparents, brother, aunts, uncles, and the whole gang! What it does mean is simply that I know that I am going to be here for one year and instead of wishing I was home (which some people do quite often) I am going to leave my eyes open, take it all in and in one year’s time be 100% Peruvian American! That was the mission I set out on back in the end of June and I am very happy and proud to say tha t goal is being reached. And more importantly, I am making family and friendship ties that will last a lifetime, I have shared my life with them and they have all become inseparable parts of my story, my world that will always stand out when I look back on life.

There has been a lot going on recently and I have a lot to tell about this beautiful and amazing country that I have been able to call my home. First of all is the fact that while I was here I was able to graduate from San Ignacio de Recalde, my colegio here in Lima, and getting the opportunity to see my friends walk and receive their diplomas was simply incredible, one of the more reflective moments of my exchange, watching a group of students achieve what they had worked a long time for resonated well with me and reminded me just how fast life really does pass us by and why everyday we should try to run out and grab as much of it as we can! ☺ I think I will backtrack just a tad however because I forget to tell you that I was included in a very large traditional dance show in the beginning of December before the graduation! My friends and I danced a dance named Tucumanos as well as accompany another group by playing the Cajón! As I was saying we too were given our diplomas and to become a part of the school was an incredible rewarding experience, even though the system was very different from ours and what I had been used to, Colegio is where I met all of my very good Peruvian friends and for that I am thankful to have been not only included but truly given a very graciously accepted courtesy of the school when we as exchange students needed it.

A few days after the official ceremony we had our unofficial ending to the Promoción of 2013…. Prom. Now before you go off guessing at what Prom was like here let me tell you one thing, it is NOT like the prom in the United States and I say that meaning it is much much better… If a prom starts at 8 at night and ends at 6 the next morning and people are dancing the entire time then you know you have a very good party going and going to Peruvian Proms (I was actually luckily enough to be invited to two!) were two of the most entertaining and memorable nights of my entire life and I mean that with absolute seriousness because it was a night that will always be remembered by those that were able to take part. I spent it with my friends, bestfriends, and very good people and of course that just puts the cherry on top of it all! Thank you Promotion 2013 for making my time at San Ignacio de Recalde the best I could ever have imagined!

Outside of our party going mentality the Exchange students and myself have been visiting some very important sites here in Peru and we have had the pleasure of recently visiting the Palacio Del Gobierno very near the center of Lima! A beautifully constructed and decorated modern palace it was a spectacle and certainly contained a number of Peruvian historical items and accounts which play a major role obviously in the Peruvian national identity!

Of course recently we have had the major holidays of December and January and those of course come with their own stories! Christmas was spent very very well with my host family and it came with its own Peruvian customs of course! First we went to mass at 6 P.M. and got back close back to 7:30, afterward we had our own time of Prayer and we sang Spanish worship songs to show just how thankful we were for the blessing of another Christmas remembering that Jesus christ was born for us! Truly moving and it was fantastic to take part of! After chatting and greeting the entire host of uncles, aunts, and cousins, we all sat down for a large christmas dinner at 11 complete with the traditional “fixins” simply added with some Peruvian Spice! Turkey, Ham, Camote, Rice, fruits, numerous other foods, and a tall glass of Red wine! At midnight we sat round the christmas tree and everyone opened up their presents! The kids were so excited and the smiles people had will be a memory I will always keep with me! Finally we walked outside and watched the Christmas Fireworks because fireowrks here in Peru are incredibly common and for about three more hours we kept the party going into the christmas morning, finally getting home at about 3:30 A.M.! Certainly impossible to forget!

The last week of mine has been filled with mixed emotions really, as it commonly is with the New Year’s celebration my year of 2014 has its ups and downs. When I say “down” I don’t mean that it is sad or upsetting, simply a change… this week I am saying goodbye to my first host family. I could never be more thankful for all that they have done for me in these first five months here in this country and I know I could never forget them as my host family, they took me in when I knew nothing about this new world and they taught me everything I needed, they are my family and I love them very very much. As excited as I am to be traveling to Sullana a small city in the northern reaches of the country, I know that I already miss my life here in Lima a little and miss my host family a lot. I know that I was lucky enough to live with an amazing family and we have moments, memories, jokes, and stories that will never leave me… Mamá, Pap&aac ute; , Jorge, Julio, y Johanna, los quiero un montón y nunca no podré decirles a ustedes el amor que he sentido estos cinco meses pasados, me aceptaron como hijo, hermano y amigo, gracias por todo y sé que algún día los voy a visitar y nosotros nos vamos a acordar todo de lo que ha pasado. Tenemos nuestros chistes, cuentas, memorias, y momentos inolvidables, gracias por todo que han hecho por mi y los quiero como familia.

Everything in Peru is going so so well right now and I couldn’t be happier with what I am doing and who I am becoming, so many things have changed and I still have over half of my Exchange ahead of me which is a very very exciting thought to me! I have so much more I want to change and I know things will happen in the next months that I could never dream of! Thank you to all of my friends and family everywhere out their in the big world who have made this entire year such a blessing, my special thanks go out to all of you, I wish the best this holiday season and may your days be blessed with good times with the people you care about! Chau de Lima, Peru! 😀 ¡Los quiero un montón! ¡Viva el Perú!

March 31, 2014

We have all imagined the scene right? The traveler throwing their belongings in a bag and leaving at a moments notice for the first chance of adventure even if he is unsure of the path in front of him, where it may lead, and where it will end. We have all imagined the scene… but the last two months I feel I have actually gotten to live it. The last time I wrote in this blog I believe it was the beginning of January and change was certainly easy to find, a new year, new family, a new half of the exchange, the journey was at a turning point and even if I didn’t know it then the months to follow would be some of the most memorable in my life.

It all started one hectic day at the bus stop in Lima, as I was awaiting my bus to Sullana; a small northern city that I believe I had mentioned in this blog before hand, I received a call from my chairman here in Lima saying that for some unknown reason the Rotarians that were going to take me in were not available and so in the blink of an eye I was forced to cancel my ticket pick up my bags and go back home… my trip had been lost and it appeared that the rest of my summer was going to be spent here in the capital. However, being lucky as I have been during my exchange that is not the end of the story, about an hour later I received a call from the same chairman offering me not one but two separate trip opportunities one to the Highland city of Huaraz, and the other to the more tropical city of Pucallpa situated in the Amazon. I am sure an onlooker would have said that my racing around to leave that same day for Huaraz was quite in the fashion of Mr. Baggins. Hoppin g in a car with a Rotary family and four other exchange students I began my first day of what would be a chain of trips. And how did I finish it? Sleeping peacefully at the doorstep of the Peruvian highlands. That, my good friends, is where my adventure would start.

Huaraz was a very small peaceful town with the traditional culture of the Sierra, it was based on tourism because the local mountain ranges of the Cordillera Negra and the Cordillera Blanca offered a number of tours and foreigners were abundant. The culture in that city is incredibly close to the traditional way of life practiced by the Incas for centuries. The idea of a cyclic relationship with earth and its products like the Potato, corn, and fish are symbolic of how the customs of that empire have been passed down and conserved in the highlands of this beautiful country. Quechua is spoken regularly and most know Spanish as a second language. Seeing the history of its people in the social norms of the city Huaraz was a great cultural stop for us to get to know and understand more of life in the Andes. In total we were there for 6 days, however everyone of those six days was used incredibly and we were able to book tours to several large hiking spots such as Lake 69, a beautiful crystal blue lake at nearly 15,000 reached only by a three hour intense mountain path! We were able to bungee jump from a bridge about 120ft high over a rocky canyon with a small river at its base and we were able to climb down canyons in and through waterfalls. We were able to eat huge amounts of fresh trout, which was the primary dish of the town as well as corn, and potatoes, which here in Peru are absolute staples for almost all meals. All in all it was a fantastic trip and I could not imagine not being able to make a stop in the region of Ancash. Unfortunately my stay couldn’t have been longer, and after six short days I was already leaving back to Lima.

However my stay in the capital was not to be drawn out. I was only able to just shake of a short-term traveler’s rest before heading to the airport. This time my destination was going to be a little bit farther and (if possible) even more exotic because I was going to the tropical Jungle city of Pucallpa. Arriving it reminded me much like home, the warm humid jungle air, the mosquitos already swarming as you stepped off of the plane, it was a much more familiar site to me and from the first minute I stepped out of the airport I know that Pucallpa was going to be special, and by the end it flew higher than my most built expectations could have imagined. I was staying with my friend Colin a Belgian, and our host family, Chelita, Hernan, Erika, and Pia in a beautiful house nearly six kilometers away from the center of the city. It was much more distant and that reminded me or of the peaceful lifestyle I had seen and become apart of back home and in Costa Rica. Truly loving, warm, and radiant people, Colin and I know knew that the hospitality of the Selva was going to be very different than we were thinking previously. We begin eating a lot more meats and fish and several incredibly delicious plates such as river trout, Piranha, fried sweet bananas and so much more. We were in the region of Yarinacocha, which has a beautiful, and captivating range of rivers and lakes situated at its banks. There we were able to spot river dolphins and fish for the famous Piranha. When we were not out venturing in the Amazon we were back at home with the family enjoying a very warm, kind, loving culture where parties and family cookouts were incredibly common. Everybody brought their favorite food or drink and the whole family enjoyed and danced for hours and hours. The warm climate of the Jungle was only matched by the emotional friendliness and warmth of its people.

From the Coast of Lima to the rainy highlands of Ancash, to the tropical sunny shores of the lakes of Yarinacocha and Ucayali, the journey just didn’t stop for me and in every place I had the pleasure of traveling to the last few weeks it reminded me even more just how special this country is, each region has its own customs and traditions but all of the different zones of this country recognize their pride in being Peruvian and for me that is an inspiring idea. The food was incredible, the tours spectacular and the adventuring endless. This is the experience I had always wished for in an exchange year and now as I said earlier I have the pleasure to live it! I could not be happier or more content with all of my surroundings. This country with its foods, dances, histories, and tales is made purely from culture and I couldn’t imagine a better place to be sent to. It is home for me and I am proud to say that! All in all my January and February were full of nonstop travel and the adventure of the last few months doesn’t stop there… two days after my return to Lima from Pucallpa I left for a two week trip to the Northern Coasts of Peru where I would get to spend my days on some of the most beautiful beaches of South America, but to hear that story you are all going to have to wait for my next blog! (I have to somehow keep some interest flowing don’t I? ;)) Take care all of you, and remember, seize everyday, there are beautiful moments simply waiting to be enjoyed! Cuídense mucho y abrazos para todos! Nos vemos pronto! Chau! Y por supuesto Viva el Perú! 😀

May 2, 2014

Well I think I have had you all waiting long enough… some of you have been patient enough to wait for my next entry, other seem to be a little pushy! I will take that as a sign that perhaps my writing is at least a little enjoyable for you all! ☺ This time I have news of another Rotary Trip, our trip to the Northern coast of Peru as well as some short stops in our neighbor Ecuador! It was an incredible trip all around and it helped us round off our visiting experience to the four corners of the country that we have been so lucky to call home! So here it is: Our trip to the North!

Our excursion would start in the beautiful city of Trujillo one of the most distinct and important cities in the country well known for its incredible seafood and Marinera Norteña (a traditional dance found along the coast which represents a significant portion of the Peruvian culture). We were situated in a small district just outside of the city named Huanchaco and while we were there we were able to visit and enjoy the Pacific beaches that the coasts offered as well as excellent dishes such as Chicharrón de Mariscos, Ceviche, and many others. The first major archeological site on our tour was to the site of Chan Chan, the large set of ruins on the coast constructed by the Pre-Incan civilization of the Chimú. This site acted as one of many capitals owned by this culture and it was one of the most significant trading posts for the region. Its architecture is constructed to resemble many of the most important aspects of the civilizations everyday life. This can explain why symbols such as waves, pelicans, fish, and sea otters can all be found in abundance. The Chimú were a very successful entity and like many other cultures of their day they worshipped the natural bodies around them such as the sea, the sun, and the moon. Chan Chan offered tremendous sites and was crucial for getting to know the northern culture that inhabited the north of my country before the Incan Empire came into power.

After our trip to Chan Chan we were able to continue our tour with a visit to the capital of another Pre-Incan power, the Mochica culture that flourished in the North and held a political and religious capital at the site of the Huaca del sol y de la Luna. This beautiful site gave us the chance to see beautiful and detailed Pre-Incan architecture and witness the advanced society of the Moche. We saw sites used for human sacrifice as well as the wonders of a city situated at the base of el Cerro blanco which is the mountain jutting up from behind the Huaca. Perhaps a little clarification is needed. “Huaca” is a word in Quechua, which means sacred place and the Moche held this zone in high accord not only politically but as well religiously and it was crucial in the governing of this society. Crime was incredibly low, the people only took what they needed, respected laws, and an army was raised to protect the civilization from its local neighbors. Ending our first day amongst the ruins of the North we finished off the day with a trip to La Plaza de Armas in Trujillo, which actually has the largest square footage of all of the major plazas in the country!

From Trujillo we traveled a few hours North to the next major city found along the coast: Chiclayo. In one of the largest fishing capitals in the country we were able to enjoy not only a beautiful city and busy beaches but also a tremendous jumping off point to visit one of the most well known men of the ancient world… El Señor De Sipán! The Lord of Sipan is a famous leader of the Moche culture who was discovered in 1987; one of the most significant attributes of his remains is that he is one of the most completed sets of remains that have been found in South America. Little to no action of robbers had been witnessed to the site in which he was found and because of his intact remains scientists have been able to determine physical features such as hair color, skin color and other basic physical components. He was wrapped in numerous gold ornaments in the tradition of the Moche and was buried with his wife and several of his favorite aids. A unique tradit ion performed by this culture was the wearing of a small piece of gold worn right over the mouth. When one first looks at this very odd facial jewelry it doesn´t seem to have much purpose. However it served tremendously for leaders both religious and political, the sound waves that they spoke would resonate off of the gold allowing them to hear their own words more clearly and therefore better enhance their pronunciation and dictation to their people.

Being the busy and travel loving exchange students we are however we were not going to stop there! After our trip to see the Lord of Sipan we took the long bus ride to our final stop in Peru: Tumbes. Tumbes is also a fishing community and is significantly more tropical than its counterparts to the south. While in this beautiful city we were able to enjoy several trips to natural aviaries, crocodile and caiman sanctuaries, and an incredibly active and friendly northern culture. Situated much closer to the equator, Tumbes was much warmer and at the same time it gave us the perfect opportunity to swim in its warm tropical beaches after tours through its canals which we took by boat!

Following our ever-winding path up the northern coast of Peru we eventually went so far that we crossed into Ecuador stopping in the beautiful city of Guayaquil! A beautiful modern city, Guayaquil offered a breathtaking fusion of Spanish Architecture and modern innovation, our touring through the bustling city included trips to see Tortoises from the Galapagos, The Park of the Iguanas where iguanas are permitted to roam freely, as well as a viewing tour provided by a double decker viewing bus. Our adventure into Ecuador however would not end there, after two days in Guayaquil we pressed onward to the beautiful beaches of Las Salinas known in Ecuador as one of the most beautiful area of beaches in the region. We were able to soak up some sun after several long days of touring, and experiencing a culture that was different to our home in Peru.

Finally as our trip started coming to an end we crossed back into our beautiful Peru and traveled to the last stop on our busy escapade: Zorritos. Zorritos is a well-known area full of beautiful beaches and great food. With a tropical setting all around us the Exchange Student group was able to relax, strengthen even more so those bonds between us and really take the final steps into making all of us one big happy family. With beach bonfires, seafood, and hours spent among the surf I would say the last few nights of our visit to the North were not only successful but some of the best times I have ever had! Thank you Rotary for all of the opportunities you give us and to all of you I can only say: until next time! ☺ ¡Que disfruten cada día! ¡Y que viva el Perú!

May 6, 2014

I suppose I have never felt more confusion about who I am or what I do then the last few weeks that I have been here in my new home of Perú. For all the future exchange students that will be taking on this incredible journey you should know that this once in a lifetime experience is incredibly rewarding, but at the same time you must also realize that what almost every Rotarian who knows this program will tell you is true: You will not come back the same person that left the United States the year before. For me that realization has never been clearer.

The last few months for me have been hard simply because now the reality of having to go back home has finally hit. With all the trips, friends, and Rotary family I started to realize just how much of a home Perú has meant to me and how hard it is going to be to leave. I can remember my first days of school, my first day in my host family’s house and how scared, nervous, and excited I was to take on my new world and discover everything it had to offer. Its been nearly 9 and half months since I left my home in Florida and now I feel as if going back home will be not only the closing to one chapter in my life, but also the beginning of another.

Its a confuisng feeling, we are prepared to gain a new world, language, customs, and culture and yet we can never be prepared enough for the return journey that at one moment or another hits us all. For me the most important idea that I have found is that Perú will never truly leave me as long as I remember all of the incredible things that it has taught me. And when I return with every song I teach to my family and friends, every dance I enjoy, every traditional dish of food I make, and every word of Spanish I speak will always keep me close to the country that has been in my heart since day one.

I have come to appreciate so many different things while I have been here, a new appreciation for my home in the United States and Florida, a huge appreciation and love for my family whom without I would never have been able to take my adventure the way I have, my values as an American and the simple pride of being able to see my country from a view point that maybe I would never have had had I not gone on Rotary Youth Exchange. For me this experience has opened my eyes to so many things, and although I have faced hardships culturally, linguistically, and socially, every one of the challenging moments that I have experienced I know have made me a better person and that is the heart of this Exchange for me, falling in love with a new home, discovering a new world, and at the same time discovering the sides of me that perhaps I never really knew.

So the expedition is finally coming to a close… as the months count down and the day of my return draws nearer I will not stop living this dream of mine, everyday brings a new oppurtunity for me to enjoy, reflect, and remember all of the great moments that have come to define my Exchange. I can remember the day I recieived the application, the day I was told I would be an Exchange student, and the day I left Jacksonville Airport and said goodbye to my family. For me it always seemed that a year would be so much longer and now my journey has come full circle. Thank you Rotary International for everything you have done for me, thank you for a new world to discover, a new country to call home, and a new sense of pride for the person that I am. For those things and so much more I will always be grateful. Thank you

October 17, 2013

Well I been living in Norway for about 2 months now..but who’s counting right? About a year ago I never thought I was actually going to become an Exchange student. When I told my friends and everyone, they thought it was a joke and even I didn’t think I was going to go through with it but I just kept telling myself that I can take this opportunity and run as fast as I can with it, and well here I am! 🙂

I left Florida at 11am on August 10th and arrived in Norway on the 11th of August at 8:20 am! The people in the airport were so nice and I even was given a free dinner at the airport since I was an exchange student! When I first arrived I was greeted at the airport by my second host family and my host sister who was leaving for the US the next day. Since it was early morning my host mom decided she should take me everywhere in town and that we should go hike up a mountain to see the famous Olympic ski jump Holmenkollen. It was great but I don’t really remember much since I was SO TIRED and I had forgotten my camera in my luggage. For that week I traveled around the city, Oslo. I learned how to get around with the metro, tog (train), busses and walking! I live about 10 minuets away from the center of Oslo! It is so beautiful here, the old buildings, castle, opera house, fjord and all of the parks! I have gone hiking or what norwegians call a tour and have been out boatin g in Oslo fjord. I went ot Frongenparken the other day and it is just so beautiful! Frongenparken is a park with hundreds of sculptures of naked people. We literally drink coffee everyday or tea! I moved to my first family’s home after spending the week with my second family.

My second week was crazy! I had just switched homes on Lørdag (Saturday) and then had to start skole (school) on Mandag (Monday). The fist day of skole was actually quite nice but hard since I couldn’t really understand the teacher or Norsk (Norwegian) for that matter. You can’t tell one word from the next in a sentence or who is yelling at who in class but it’s much better now. We ended up doing yoga in class and it was more like you spend time with your classmates and get to know who is in it with you.  I have made some amazing friends and just being gone from them for one week was hard. Since I went to a week long language class out of town and meet 23 exchange students there. Harry Mehri was there and I WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE HIM! It’s nice to see a familiar face every now and then We both tried to speak to each other in Norsk but we live so far apart that he has a different dialekt than me. We use different words for the same meaning. My friends here are Norwegian and we meet in English class when my teacher sat me with them since they didn’t want to speak english, so when I was put with them they had to. They talked to me everyday even when I was with the Exchange students. I have made deals with some of them that if they teach me Norsk then I can help them with their English. I now can comprehend most of what people are saying but i just don’t have a large enough vocabulary to respond completely. I AM GETTING BETTER THOUGH! I have a good base layer for norsk. Jeg er flink. 🙂

It is SO easy to get around here. I just get off school hop on the mero and I can be in Majorstuen ( the main shopping veien (road)) in 8 min. I go everywhere with my friends and It is starting to get cold and I am freezing my tush off. I have to wear my ugg boots with wool socks on and I bundle up in everything I have but you know everyone just keeps telling me it’s going to get worse. Make sure I you co to any cold country to bring wool clothes not cotton or nylon.. the cold just goes right through it. Now it has just turned into fall and you can surely tell! The trees are so beautiful! I can’t wait for the snow!!!! I should be used to the cold by then!

A few weekends ago I worked at the Golf club for a tournament and met Suzann Pettersen. She is 3rd in the world. It was such a great experience! I have also started to play some football (soccer) here! I love my team and they really like me 🙂 i have grown fond of football.

I just had a week of holiday! I went to Hamar and met all the exchange students from all over Norway! The Australians are so much fun, and are really nice. I spent 3 days there it is about 2 hours north of Oslo. There was a circus going on and DJ Broiler was having a concert there! It was awesome!! He is one of the best Norwegian djs. Hanging out with all of the exchange students was so much fun and I would love to see them again. Then on Mandag (monday) I went to Lillehamar and stayed with my host family (staubo) at their grandparent’s home where my host mom grew up. I climbed to the top of a mountain there and went to one of the largest collection of old homes in the world. Lillehamar is where the 1993 Olympics was held. It is so beautiful it is located right on a large river. I went to the norsk theatre (norwegian thearter) and there was an event going on in the streets for the theatre. I was standing on the sidewalk and suddenly all these police show up. I asked him who the man was that they were standing around was.. It was the King of Norway! I was so shocked! Then after that I went to Holmenkollen the olympic ski jump for the second time 🙂 it ceases to amaze me even though I can see it everyday from the window at my school. My first day back after a week of break was really fun. I’m so happy to see my friends again! I missed them but later this week i’m going to see the Edward Munch Art Museum with my second host family. There is an expedition going on and can’t wait to go see it. Oh and there was a race in Oslo a few weeks ago and that was fun so nice. The food here is SO DELICIOUS! Vaffles are my favorite! They are like waffles but thinner and sweeter <3 you normally put jam and yogurt on them it taste so good! Eple kake (apple cake) is also really yummy since you use fresh apples to make it. It is true though that you eat fisk (fish) and potatoes every week at least once a week.

I am going to switch families at the end of this month and I cannot wait to see what the future holds! What else is possible? I haven’t talked to my family as much as I thought I would but that keeps me from being homesick! I haven’t gotten homesick yet but it’s the little things that make you remember people back ‘home’. I saw a bag of Oreos and thought of my mom. Since the day before I left we took my host sister from Switzerland to Walmart. Where we opened and ate the box of Oreos in the store. It was so hilarious to see Celine’s face. (it wasn’t normal!) We gave the cashier the empty box and my host sister was so shocked that we had just bought a empty box! That was just some small things here and there that reminds you of someone or something back in the USA or where ever you come from. So far I am EXTREMELY thankful to Rotary, my family, friends and everyone who helped me to get to where I am now! Tusen takk alle! ~ Erin Hensel 2013/14 Norway RYE

January 25, 2014

Well these past few month have been extremely exciting and hectic! I have switched families, the Holidays have come I have been on winter break had an amazing New years in Norway and I LOVE IT HERE! Where do I start, okay so Christmas! I spent Christmas with my host family, my two host parents and me. It was really calm and quiet, we opened presents and had a special Norwegian meal of Ribe ( It is a sheep rib that has been salted and dried for a few months.) The first time i had it i was really excited but it had a certain taste to it that I wasn’t sure if I enjoyed it or not. Then the next day we had the leftovers and it tasted SO much better the next time I had it. For Norwegian holidays it is all about what food you eat! For the days during Winter break each day had a specific food for each day. We drank Gløgg it is like a spiced sweet tea type thing you add almonds and raisins to it. It is really good. Then for lunch we eat a type porridge which had one almond in it. Who ever found the almond got this pig that had marchipan in it. Marchipan is like this creamy almond dough type stuff that is amazing! When it is covered in skjolade(chocolate)it is to die for!

Okay enough with the food. It has recently snowed and hasn’t stopped for two weeks now there is three feet of snow and it continues to deepen! The coldest day here so far was -19C That day I had decided it would be a good idea not to dry my hair and as soon as i had walked 5 minutes to the bus stop my hair was frozen like popsicle sticks. I could not feel my face hands feet or just in general my entire body. when i had finally arrived at school everyone look at me and were shocked. I was so white and the school nurse had to give me a blanket and dry socks. That is one thing I have noticed with Norwegians it there little sayings or knowledge of things. The most i hear is if your feet are cold then you will get a cold. or if your gloves are wet then you will freeze. I first thought you can’t get sick if your feet are cold! Colds come from bacteria and poor Immune systems. Well you know I got sick. They were right. SO what ever you do do not go outside with anything wet on, have thick socks and a scarf to cover your neck OR you will get sick and have to lay in bed and feel terrible for a while.

School is very different as well at first since I didn’t really know what was going on i just kind of sat in class and just sat there until the teacher handed me a paper or something but well that did nothing to help my grades so I tried to ask what was going on and took some effort that helped some but then there are the teachers who don’t know how to grade you well that’s tough but you just have to let them know that you are trying to do your best. If not then you are just as the desk in the room, empty space. TO EVERYONE OUT THERE READING THIS: Do not give up, yes, okay things do get tough maybe even scary or you are hurt and don’t know what to do. Just cry a bit lift your head your and keep moving forward. There is nothing that can stop you from what makes you happy. Give others strength too. Try to please the people who expect from you, but honestly when you look back on life what do you want to see? It is your choice. Man I have really gone throu gh a lot here but it is just a rock in my pocket now. I just have to keep working and not stop. I rather enjoy being busy even with Norwegian physics or German.

I have yet to go skiing in Norway and I have gone sledding (aking) recently, I love all of my friends here and just want to take them all home with me! I am at my half way point on my Exchange here in Norway and it has come to me as such a shock. Where has all the time gone? It just slips right through your fingers. I don’t ever want to leave Norway and yes I am torn. My heart already belongs to Norway, the culture and the people. Oslo my heart will always be yours! I am moving to my third family in March and I am so excited! I Know I will really miss my second family. They are so kind, but new experiences are coming my way! I can not wait to see how everyone has changed over their exchange but i can wait forever to come back to Florida, not because i don’t miss it but i have found a new me and new love here in Norway. My eyes are open to everyones point of view and not just my own anymore. Well there is not much going on now besides school, food, friends, family and sleep. I rather enjoy the regular days. Thank you to everyone who supports me and a special tusen takk to Doug and Cindy! Love you all! Thank you so much Rotary for everything!

October 20, 2013

Day 42:

I wish there was words to completely explain what exchange life is exactly like. Its a mix of emotions from being extremely confused from not knowing the language to being so happy you can’t help, but to smile 24/7 and just stop what you’re doing in the day to look around and go “Holy crap i’m in Spain living my dream.” This has been pretty much my life for the past month I’ve been living in Spain.

I landed in Madrid, Spain on September 9th, which was probably the most confusing day of my life. I had no idea what was happening, because A. it was 7 a.m. and I had been flying for the past 9 hours & B. I had no idea what was being said to me since they were speaking in such rapid Spanish. At this point I realized how difficult this was going to be in the beginning, but it made me excited for the day when I can actually understand what they are saying and have a conversation. The first week in Spain though, was a complete blur with everything going on around you…….aka culture shock. Spain has a lot of things similar to America, but still very different. I’m lucky that I have such a wonderful host family that has helped me a lot and got me through my culture shock. Before you go on exchange Rotary tells you about different things that will happen like culture shock, but you really don’t know what it is until it hits you full force. Other then all the culture shock, my first week was so much fun! Getting to explore my town of Zaragoza, meeting my new family, tasting new foods, and experiencing a new culture its all so exciting! In that first week when I first got to see my city of Zaragoza I fell in love with it almost instantly. It has so much history in it and it is so beautiful. It is home to old streets, many churches, bull fighting arena, tons of wind, a professional soccer team (Real Zaragoza), and a ancient Cathedral that is beautiful! Zaragoza is the perfect mix of ancient architecture and modern architecture. Some of the buildings are so wonderful that I catch myself starring at them when I’m on my way to school every day.

I live outside of Zaragoza in a small town called Garrapinillos that is about 20 minutes by car to Zaragoza. Its along the country side of Zaragoza, so I get to see lots of wide open fields and smaller town life. In Garrapinillos they have a few shops, bakeries, a old church, and fields. The best part of the bakeries is that the bread is super cheap here since they eat so much of it, so you can get two fresh baked loafs of bread for one Euro! It will in the long run make me gain a few pounds, but what do I care I’m in Spain! In February I will be switching host families to a family that lives in the city of Zaragoza, so it will be nice to see the difference of living in a big city compared to the outskirts of it.

The school I go to is a public school in the middle of downtown Zaragoza for kids that range from about 6 years old to 18 years old. Its a very old building with no AC or a heater and let me tell you this Florida girl has been very chilly here, since in October- March it get very cold here. Heres a tip for anyone planning on going on exchange: bring lots of sweaters, skip the short sleeve shirts! My host family and friends thinks its very funny how cold I am and all they say is “wait for December when it gets even colder!” Anyways, I love going to school in the city, since after school or during the break in school I can walk around the city look in shops or bakeries (there is a lot of bakeries that have amazing smells coming from them). I’ve gotten pretty use to riding the bus everywhere so its very convenient to take the bus when you want to go somewhere.

So far in my first month I have been lucky enough to do the following: Go to Barcelona for a long weekend, go to a famous theme park, go to a Barcelona beach, visit Madrid, go hiking up a mountain, try amazing new food, gain a few pounds, meet lots of people, go shopping at the biggest mall in all of Europe, go to a week long Fiesta called Fiestas del Pilar in Zaragoza (very famous), go to my first bull fight, and best of all be apart of my new family here in Spain. My host family is amazing and treat me as their long lost daughter. My host brother, who is 12, treats me as if I’m his actual sister and not some guest living in the same house. Its awesome! The people I have met, teens and adults, have been the nicest people I have ever met! They are incredibly nice to me and trying to make me feel at homeEverything I have experienced has been amazing! My favorite thing to do here is tell Spaniards that there is two alligators that live in the pond behind my house and getting to see their face in complete shock and ask me “how are you not dead?! Don’t they attack and kill people?!” Its great!!! Barcelona by far has the prettiest beaches I have ever seen! Thats a big thing coming from a Florida girl who has seen a lot of beaches! Furthermore, Fiesta del Pilars is a huge celebration that celebrates the Virgin Mary and the cathedral that is located in Zaragoza. For a week straight they have huge concerts, ceremonies, and different activities. In that week span Zaragoza does not sleep. People are constantly dancing, eating, and having fun! During that week I went to so many concerts, including very famous Spanish singers! The concerts happen outside the cathedral in the Plaza de Pilar and a few thousand people come to every concert. When I wasn’t at a concert I was exploring different food booths/ craft stand looking at everything! It was so much fun getting to see all the different Spanish stuff. During Pilars one of the d ays my host dad took me to my first ever bull fight! Its a big thing in Spain and its more of like a ceremony. During the fight they have special things that they do and wear special clothes. It was so cool to see, but I felt bad for the bulls! On the Saturday of Pilars they have a huge ceremony that starts at 7 a.m. and goes to 8 p.m. that night. They build a huge statue made completely out of flowers and everyone dresses up in clothes from the past and takes flowers to the statue to help build it. The statue must be at least 200 feet tall full of flowers! My family got up super early that morning and dressed me up in this old beautiful dress and we went to go walk in the parade that delivers the flowers to the statue. It was so much fun to experience this! By the end of the night I went back to Zaragoza with some of my friends and saw this breath taking statue! It was so beautiful as it was all lighten up! Moments like this make me so glad I made the decision to apply for this wonderful program! This was by far the best decision I have ever made in my life.

I can’t wait for what Spain has in store for me in the future and I’ve never been so excited for it all to happen. I’m so blessed to been able to come to Spain and I don’t have the words to be able to thank Rotary and my family. If you are looking to go on exchange just stop what you are doing and go apply! Its by far the best decision anyone could ever make. The way it changes you for the better and the things you experience just make it worth it. The things i’ve learned in a month are things I would probably never learn or it would take me till i’m 20+ to learn it. Being a exchange student it really that awesome.

March 30, 2014

I can’t believe it’s already been 6 months since I left Florida! The time has past so quickly! I’ve been so busy that I keep on forgetting to update! I’m sorry!!!!!!

However, to keep you in the loop since I last posted, I will start with November! November was a very fun month, because my American friends and I planned a Spanish Thanksgiving feast! Even though it wasn’t on thanksgiving, but the day after (because we had school), it was so much fun! We all made a ton of American styled food for everyone! My host family and their friends all came, my Spanish friends, my fellow American friends, my friends from Australia, and my friend from Finland! The non-Americans got to enjoy their very first Thanksgiving, even with a turkey!!

In December was a ton of fun! I got to experience my very first Spanish Christmas! Christmas eve and day were different from the way I usually celebrate back in America. It was still really cool though. For Christmas Eve we went to my host grandmas house for dinner. She cooked like a 6 course meal with amazing food! We stayed at her house till 3 a.m. then went home to open our Christmas presents! However, my host brother and I fell asleep in the car so we just decided to open our presents in the morning (In Spain most people open their presents on Christmas Eve). Then the next morning we opened up our presents and my host parents got me a Real Madrid Jersey which I almost died, because I love Real Madrid!! After, our entire family came over for a gigantic lunch. It was nice enjoying every ones company and having the feeling of Christmas!

Before our winter break ended, my host family took me on a trip to the Basque Country. We went to the main cities in that region, so I could see how different each part of Spain is! Where I live in Spain is very dry and it looks almost like a desert, but the Basque Country region is very green and has grass! I seriously didn’t see any grass for like 4 months. In Zaragoza there’s lots of trees, but no grass. We went to a ton of different cities and did things like: Went into caves, went to this awesome zoo, went to museums, ate a lot, played in Snow, went to different beaches, etc. The cities we went to were: Cantabria, Santander, Bilbao, and lots of little cities in between! It was amazing and I had so much fun! We got back from Vacation on New Years Eve so we got to celebrate it the normal Spanish way. For people in Spain on New Years Eve everyone must wear red underwear and the color red. For dinner Spanish people have all their family over for dinner and have a huge feast! Then at midnight they turn on the tv for the countdown to midnight. Instead of doing the count down to midnight like in America, in Spain they start at 12 and at every second the clock makes a loud BANG sound and you have to eat a grape. So at the end you have eaten a total of 12 grapes. It’s a very hard task to do! Then after you go out and have fun with your friends!

In February, I switched host families for the very first time! I’ve been very lucky and got two great host families! My new host family is wonderful! In this family I have a Host mom, dad, sister, and brother. My host sister went on exchange to New Jersey and my host brother lives in London to study English. They live directly next door to the Real Zaragoza soccer stadium, so its super cool to live next door to a professional soccer stadium! My family is huge soccer fans, so we go to almost every Real Zaragoza games and watch every FC Barcelona game or Real Madrid game on tv. I love it! All of the trashcans by the stadium are shaped like giant soccer balls, only in Spain Hahaha!! My new house is also super close to my school, so it very easy to get there every day!

Now March! March has been a pretty chill month hanging out with my Spanish friends and with my host family. On a long weekend my first host family took me and the other exchange student in Zaragoza with them to go skiing in France! I’ve previously gone on day trips to France, because I live only 3 ish hours from the border. This time though we went for the whole weekend! On our way to France we stopped at a Village called Alquezar. It was one of the prettiest villages I’ve seen! It was very old, so there was a lot to look at. Then we made our way to France and went Skiing for the day and ate crepes! Let me say you have not lived until you have had a French Crepe! Preferably a nutella crepe! Through out the weekend we stopped in villages and castle to look around, which they were all very pretty!

This is everything I have been up to so far in my amazing experience so far! It’s been a roller coaster of emotions, but its so worth it in the end. I would not trade this experience for the world! From all the people I’ve met and being able to experience Europe makes me never want to leave! It’s going to be hard to get on that plane in July to have to come back to America! At this point I’m trying not to think about July and I’m just looking forward to my last few months her

Until my next post, ¡Hasta Luego!

September 4, 2013

Being a Rotary Exchange student is hard. It is not for the weak, you have to be very strong and independent to leave everything you know to start a new life which may be better or worse then your previous one. I will be very honest in my journals with all of my experiences. When I lived in Florida I had a very easy life, going to the beach most days, sleeping until noon, hanging out with my friends everyday, here in Brazil I live very differently. When I signed up for Rotary I thought I knew everything about exchange because I had hosted 3 exchange students in my home and my brother studied abroad in 2010 in Paraguay. But I never knew this is what it would feel like.

I left my small town of St. Augustine for Apucarana Brazil on August 22. I was not nervous or afraid, it was a numbing feeling. I was in a sort of limbo because I was leaving my family and simple life, to start a unknown life which I had no certainty about! Of course I had talked to my host families through Facebook but how do you really get to know someone’s way of life through a social website?! I said very quick goodbyes to my mom and brother because I knew my mom would cry and when she cries everyone cries! I am very lucky I did not have any problems on my way to Brazil, though I did get lost in the São Paulo airport which was kind of scary but I made it! I arrived in the Londrina airport at 10:17 Friday morning with my first host family welcoming me! They immediately hugged me and kissed my cheek and in that moment I knew I did the right thing deciding to become an exchange student. Though I had never met them they treated me like family and I felt safe! My c ity is an hour away from Londrina which is the largest city in my state of Paraná. Everyone in the car was speaking Portuguese and I was jet lagged because I did not sleep a wink on the plane so my mind was going crazy from sleep deprivation and shock! I arrived at my house, which is a small apartment in Apucarana. It is very different from my house in Florida but I love my families apartment in Brazil! It is small and cozy and I think it makes the family closer living in a small place. My next couple days were busy meeting my first host families family, they have a huge family!! Everyone is so kind and love to ask me questions about America and my life.

I love my city in Brazil! Everything is very close and everywhere you look you see hills with many houses and building which is different to me because in Florida all you see is trees! My first week in Brazil was amazing. I went started school which is extremely boring, and very different. Also I am a little older than most of my classmates, but I can’t speak Portuguese very well so I might as well be a 5 year old! School starts at 7:15 and goes to 12. I do not understand a word the teacher say because they speak very fast, so I usually read or study Portuguese. It is not very difficult to make friends here because people at my school love to talk in English and are so interested about my life in the US. I try very hard to talk in Portuguese because I really want to show everyone that I am trying to learn which they admire! Although my first week was amazing, with delicious food (did I mention brigadeiro, OMG!) and loving people I did not expect to get emotional whatsoev er. My host mom is so kind she is probably the nicest woman in the planet and we always talk in google translate at night about my day and how I am enjoying Brazil. The first couple days of this I would let out a couple tears, not because I miss my home but because everything is so different and new to me. I am used to being very independent and here it is hard because I cannot get my opinions and feeling across because I do not know how to say it! People think I am shy here but I am the exact opposite, it is difficult to show your personality when you can only say very little.

I love Brazil so much and my first couple days I dreamt that I was being sent back to the US and I woke up so happy because it was only a dream! I have a very busy life in Brazil, I play tennis twice a week, dance classes twice a week with my host mom and sister which is so fun and Portuguese classes twice a week! I am a busy girl! I love it though because it allows me to meet more people and create a stronger bond between my host family. I am so thankful for Rotary for giving me this wonderful opportunity, my Rotary club is very welcoming and I seriously could not have asked for a better experience here in Brazil. I would not change one thing about my new life, actually maybe starting school a little bit later. I get excited when I learn new world and phrases in Portuguese because I know it is one step closer to being fluent! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world for being placed in a great family, having awesome friends and making so many great memories. I have only be en here a week and a half and it has already gone by so fast!

December 4, 2013

 So much has happened since the last time I have written! Many things have changed in good and bad ways. I have been in Brazil for about 3 months, I have so much to say about my experience here. I will start with school. I recently changed school which has been the best decision I have made here. The previous school I went attended was not the best, most of the exchange students in my city went to that school so it was hard to branch out and meet new people. I spoke English all the time with them, so learning Portuguese was harder. The people in my school were nice but it was hard to communicate with them. After about a month or so, I asked my host family if I could change schools. It was a hard decision for me because I was having an internal debate on whether to change my daily routine and comforts of my exchange student friends, for something I did not know. I did not know if I would have friends at my new school or what people would think a bout me. But a huge part of me liked the excitement of meeting new people outside of my group of exchange friends. My first day at my new school was one of the best days ever. I went to every single class room and talked to all the students, and everyone was so excited to be my friend and ask me questions about my life! People in my school call me the “famous Jocelyn” which is so strange! I can say I am 100% happier at my new school and that is because I made a change. My Portuguese has improved tremendously! I understand so much more! It is crazy how your brain starts to adapt to a new language! Before my exchange year, it was so difficult to study the language because no one in my city spoke Portuguese! I thought I would be very slow at learning. But now that I am here it is crazy how much you pick up by hearing it all the time. I think it is so fascinating how much your brain can adapt!

My host family is amazing. I have had no problems with them. They treat me as their daughter and I am so thankful to have such an amazing family! It will be so hard to leave them, it makes me sad just thinking about it! I only have two host families here which is nice because I will have more time to create relationships with them. I will move back to my first host family in May, which is better for me because I want to be able to thank them for everything when I can talk Portuguese very well! I go to Rotary meetings every Wednesday night, which are dull but I look at it as something I have to do because I am here because of them! I make a huge effort to talk to everyone at my Rotary club because I want them to remember the amazing American girl they hosted 🙂 My Rotary club came up with the best idea for me and the other exchange student in my club to do during the day every Wednesday! Before every Rotary meeting, I go to a different Rotarians house for lunch and follow them around the whole day! I see where they work and how they live their life. I have been to three house holds so far and I have learned so much! I works in auto shop one week, a rice farm the next and a plastic factory after! I love seeing the different jobs of the people in my Rotary club, and asking them questions about work and their personal lives!

It is now summer now for me, which is nice but I miss my friends from school! Now that is is summer, I have time to travel with my family which is going to be amazing! Last month I went to Isla do Mel which is a beach about 7 hours from my house! The water was so cold, and very different from the beaches in Florida. But it was nice to be with my family on vacation! My family works so much, I am home alone a lot so it is nice to bond with them when they are not so busy! Though I am home alone a lot, I am very busy! I always am out eating with friends, going to see movies or walking around town! I make a big effort to hang out with my friend from school because I do not just want exchange friends, I want Brazilian friends too!

May 12, 2014

 I have been in the best country in the world for about 6 and a half months! I can’t believe how fast it has gone. When I first arrived here I was happy to be in a new country but it was not easy. Trying to learn a foreign language and make friends when you can barely understand the language. But now everything is easy. I have friends and don’t need to speak any english at all. Its fulfilling knowing that I did it! I understand so much and can actually have good conversations with Brazilians easily. It is hard understanding people talk in large groups but I am getting there! I recently started school again, Brazilian summer starts in December and ends in February. So it has been a change, waking up at 6:30 and going to a new class with new classmates. I switched host families February 1st which was hard. I love my first host family so much, they helped me with everything when I first arrived here. My first host mom is unlike anyone I have met in the world. She is friendly with EVERYONE! She has this warm essence about her, there is no way you cannot love her! All of my exchange friends always talk about how jealous they are that my first host family is so family-like. I call them Mãe and Pai! So yes it was very hard to move, but I was excited to have a new surrounding! My second host family is very nice too! I am so lucky I have two amazing Brazilian families! I have a host sister who is 15 and is going on exchange next year. We get along so well! My house is a lot bigger than in my previous host family. I lived in an apartment and now I live in a two story house. Also I have air conditioning in my room! Everyone who has been to Brazil will tell you I am a lucky girl! It is incredible hot here and most houses in my city do not have air conditioning so I feel so blessed!

Although my exchange has been the best year of my life so far, I have had some problems. I was sick for about a month which was scary and frustrating. I went to the hospital for 3 days and then had to visit many doctors for a month straight. Back in Florida I never had any problems with my health, but here all hell broke loose!! For a while I was told I might have to return to the states which was so devastating. When I first arrived here in Brazil, I was home sick and a couple times I wished my exchange would go faster. But now, my whole outlook on life has changed! Of course I miss my family and friends, but I have made so many friends here and I feel so comfortable here!

I have been able to travel a lot with my families and Rotary! My favorite trip was with Rotary to Florianopolis which is in the state of Santa Catarina which is just below my state of Paranà. It was a very small group of exchange students, only 10 of us. I have always dreamed about Carnival and have seen the celebration in movies but the real things exceeded my expectations! The other exchange students and I danced all night! It was the best vacation I have even been on in my life! We went to two different street Carnivals, which were basically a street marked off so cars couldn’t pass with food and music. Everyone was dancing in the streets and spraying foam everywhere. On this trip I also went to many different beaches, which were so beautiful! But the water was very cold! I went sand boarding, which is a lot harder than it looks. I was happy to meet new exchange students from my state and make amazing memories with them. I am now back to the real world of scho ol, gym and studying Portuguese. I am going to start taking Portuguese classes twice a week. When I first arrived here I did them and they helped tremendously. I want to do them again to be able to talk like a Brazilian! I have so many amazing things planned for the next couple months, the first half of my exchange was great but I know the last half will so much better. I am so excited to see what the future holds 🙂

September 3, 2013

I arrived in Austria on August 8, which is my birthday. What an amazing birthday gift Rotary gave me! On August 11 I left for language camp where I stayed for two weeks and got an intro into the German language. School does not start until September 9 so I still had summer vacation after I got back. My host family and I went to Vienna for a few days were we went sight seeing and shopping.

The town that I live in is called Zell am See. The population is about 9,368 which isn’t that much different than Atlantic Beach which has around 12,000 people. My first host family is truly amazing. They are so nice and funny. I have my host parents and 2 host siblings. A brother who is 13 and a sister who is 16. We have to change shoes as soon as we get into a house or school. You either have house slippers or wear socks. Every morning we have fruit, bread and homemade jam for breakfast. The bread here is delicious. Nothing can compare to it back in Florida. Lunch is usually the big meal of the day with spaghetti, meat or potato dishes and salad. Dinner is cold cuts and bread or soup. In Austria you keep your fork in your left hand and the knife in your right hand as well as both arms on the table at all times. You use your fork to cut most foods and only the knife when needed. The ice cream here is delicious! Its so creamy and there is ice cream shops on almost every corner. The toilet was so confusing at first. I was not sure what button to press at first since there are two to the flush the toilet but after the first couple times I learned.

German language is hard to learn. But thankfully it is coming along. It can be so frustrating sometimes when everything is being said in German and you can pick out words here and there but it still does not make any sense to you. But I always remember that soon I will understand these conversations and I will be able to reply in longer sentences and have a larger input because soon I will also be speaking German.

I am reaching my one month mark here in Austria and I have already fallen in love with Austria so much. It feels like I have just arrived here while at the same time it feels like I have been here so much longer. Its crazy thinking that just a year ago I was applying to become an exchange student and now I am here in Austria as an exchange student!

October 16, 2013

Grüß Gott!

It has been two months here in Austria. The days are flying by and I find myself wishing that the days could be longer and for time to go slower.

I have already had so many amazing opportunists that I would never have been able to do in the U.S. I have stayed a weekend in Vienna, got lost in Salzburg, spent the night in a hostel, seen the first snow of the season, seen an opera in Vienna, went hiking in the freezing cold, ridden a train across the country, visited a castle in Kaprun, seen a bone house and so much more.

It’s funny how being in a new country all by yourself makes you realize what kind of person you really are. There is no way to describe the feeling you get when you realize how independent and confident you are coming. How you have this take on the world attitude because you know you can. Little moments of accomplishments make exchange worth it! The first time I ordered a coffee for myself and then food at a restaurant, switching trains successfully, having a small conversation with a friend and giving directions to a tourist because it made me realize that no longer am I tourist myself but I am at my second home.

Just one year ago I was a normal teenager going through the everyday routine of life in Florida. Today I am an exchange student not knowing what tomorrow will bring but knowing that whatever it brings I will be ready for it. One year ago I sent in my application to Rotary Youth Exchange and began preparing for an interview in front of Rotarian’s who would decide if I was ready for a year abroad. One year ago I thought I was accepting of other cultures and today I realized just how closed minded I really was. While I accepted parts of cultures I did not accept the culture as a whole. Today I can truly say that I can now accept the culture as a whole. Their beliefs and customs, the food they eat and the way they dress. While I will not always see eye to eye on their customs, eat the same food they eat or even dress the way they dress I am willing to give it all a try and to accept it even if it is not the same as my culture.

In just a two weeks I leave on a trip to see Prague, Berlin and Dresden. I never thought I would have the opportunity to travel to these places! And right now I need to begin packing for my weekend in Vienna. So good luck to all you future Rotary Youth Exchangers on the interviews. Exchange is real and it is the most amazing opportunity in your life so go for it.

October 13, 2013

Picture this: Living in the unknown; living where you don’t know anything; living where you know no one; living where all you hear is a language that you only studied 2 years of; living where you struggle talking to the native speakers; living where your family is an ocean away… only at the age of 16. Well that’s me. I have made Denia, Spain my new home in a little over a month. I live in a small beach community called Les Rotas, which is minutes away from Denia, a city that lies right on the Mediterranean coast. My house is seconds away from the beach where I enjoy riding my bike along almost every day. I live with just my host mom and I couldn’t have asked for a better first host family. Her only son Yanko is a Rotary Exchange student to Taiwan. Mi mama has no daughters, so I’m privileged to fill in for even this short period of time.

A few days after I arrived in my beautiful new home town, I went to my first Rotary orientation weekend in Madrid where I took my first train ride. We stayed on the very top of a gigantic mountain. To get up this giant mountain that we took a huge charter bus! We must have had a really talented bus driver, because to this day I still have not a clue of how we made it up this mountain with narrow roads and sharp turns. Finally when we get up this mountain I see small blue tents in an open pasture… needless to say there is NOTHING else BUT these small blue tents. Let’s just say it looked much different than our Rotary orientations in Florida. Anyways… we all struggle rolling our suitcases through the dry pasture that looks like it hasn’t received a drop of rain in years. While doing this we have to dodge large piles of cow poo going to our assigned tents. We had to fit 5 to a tent & it was extremely cold on top of this mountain at night so we all became VERY close that night.. Literally. This was honestly the best weekend of my life, I met so many incredible people that I bonded so easily with.

My first day of school was absolutely a mess. First I had to find my name on a list to know which room to go to and what time, I was to report to room 201 at 10:30. I get to room 201 and it’s a room full of only boys and they all just stared at me – wondering why I’m there. I introduce myself to the teacher and she said something really fast and I had not even a clue what she said, but thank God for hand gestures. I walked to the building where the teacher had pointed; they brought in my counselor who speaks perfect English. I explained to her what happened and she took me up to the class to see what the problem was. Well… come to find out I was in mechanics class; much confusion on this class placement! After a forty five minutes wait, they simply needed to change the room number! The next day I was able to finally meet my teacher and classmates. They were all very welcoming with open arms and they helped translate what the teacher was saying. School is a little challenging because some of my classes are taught in Spanish, and others are taught in Valencian. Valencian is language spoken by the community of Valencia, which is a Province in Spain. Being here just a month, I am learning and catching on very fast; good thing.

Here in Spain I am very active. I ride my bike into the city, which is 3 miles from my house, almost every day. While riding my bike I also set a new fashion statement, my host mom insists that I have to wear a helmet and a neon crossing guard vest. I know she is only looking out for me though, driving here isn’t nearly the same as it is in the U.S. I also just started dance at a competitive dance academy, where I do Pointe and regular ballet. In addition to dance, I also swim at the club pool Monday -Thursday, because Friday I dance. Recently I went kayaking on the Mediterranean, yes in the middle of the ocean, with my two exchange friends Joliann who is from Quebec, Canada and April who is from Chicago, Illinois. That was a huge step out of my comfort zone. I have never been kayaking before and I was so scared I was going to flip my kayak and become a sharks lunch, but survived a new experience and am here writing my journal. I have met lots of interesting people and in all honesty, they are the best people I have ever met.

Not even a month into my exchange I was already taking a trip to Munich, Germany for a week with my host mom, to visit some old friends of hers, who she had when she lived there. We drove and it took us a total of 26 hours to get there. The landscape, the trees and just everything was so pretty on our journey to Germany. We made a few stops along the way; our first stop was in Carcassonne, France where we stayed the night and visited a giant castle, with the most beautiful cathedral I have ever seen. We also visited the Museum of the French Revolution, which was filled with amazing history. Our second stop was at a friend of my host mom’s house. She lived on the border of Germany, Austria and France. We visited another castle that was on the very top of a mountain that we hiked up to get to. The view on top of the castle was absolutely worth the hike up the mountain. The view was unexplainable. Peaceful would be an understatement. We finally made it to Munich , Germany where we stayed at another friend of my host mom´s. We went to the center of Munich, which was astounding. I try comparing it to Times Square in New York, but it was better than that. It was better than any city I have ever been too. While in Munich I went to Oktoberfest, which is where Oktoberfest originated from. In two weeks approximately 6 million people where to attend Oktoberfest in Munich, it is known to be one of the biggest fiestas in Europe. Being in Germany is when I realized how grateful and honored I am to be blessed with this wonderful opportunity. I am so excited to see what the next 9 months have in store for me, I remember when this was only a dream and now it’s reality…

January 14, 2014

A lot has happened since I posted my last journal, I have found so much about myself and went through some of the happiest times of the year, not with the same faces I spend those days with every other year. In November, on Thanksgiving day since here in the Spain they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, my Rotary Club had a Thanksgiving dinner for all the exchange students in my city, with my host parents, and all the Rotarians. In fact, it had the normal thanksgiving menu like, turkey, mashed potatoes etc. Although the food was great, I knew something was missing. I felt kind of empty or lost, spending thanksgiving without my family was definitely really hard, but I couldn’t have been more blessed to spend it with such amazing people. Then, came the busiest time of the year and also the hardest part of my exchange, December. You probably are wondering how I spent my holidays here in Spain. Well on Christmas Eve or “Noche Buena” , my host family and I had dinner together which was a fish, a whole fish with eyeballs and everything. I watched my host mom prepare this fish and she literally poured 7 bags of salt on it, then put it in the oven. I could feel my blood pressure rising. No I’m only kidding, it was actually good. Also I had shrimp, and my city, Denia, is known for their shrimp. They’re also really expensive, usually 80 euros a kilo. Then after dinner we waited until midnight to open our gifts. On, Christmas day, I ate lunch with my family and their friends. Christmas Eve is the more the festive day, more then Christmas day is here. On New Years Eve, I learned something I never heard of before, you have to wear red underwear, to bring good luck in the new year, as well as eating 12 grapes at midnight. On the night of January 5, when the Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos (Three Kings’ Parade) takes place in every town and city, with hundreds upon hundreds of people crowding the main roads in order to get a glimpse of the reenactment of the arrival of the Three Kings into town. Typically, in Spain, it is not the Baby Jesus, Santa Claus or St. Nicholas who brings gifts on Christmas Day, but rather the Three Kings, whose generosity is put to the test on January 6, the day of the Epiphany. Children, families, and entire cities throughout the country celebrate this Spanish tradition. Although the holidays were really hard for me to spend away from home, I am so happy to be learning so much and living the life you would see in movies.

November 3, 2013

Well, now that it has been two months I think it is time to FINALLY write a journal.

Before I get started, there may still be a little Estonian flag over by my name. To prevent any confusion, I am not on exchange in Estonia, I am actually in Finland. My country was switched rather last minute. Finland and Estonia are both amazing countries and I strongly encourage you to learn about both of them.

The flights to Finland went smoothly. It all started with the “one ticket to HEL” given to me at the Jacksonville airport. Then it was a quick flight to Chicago O’Hare before my final departure to Helsinki, Finland.

I live with my current host family, the Nikkinens, in Kouvola which is in southern Finland. It is a rather packed house. There are my host parents, Kata and Timo, Laurel the au pair, and my host sisters Heidi (12), Noora (11), Kristina (8), and Elisa (5). Going from a family of 3 to a family of 8 has definitely been a challenging but very fun experience. My whole family is very athletic so we are always busy with practices and games. I recently joined a soccer team and have been able to make lots of Finnish friends this way. In the winter I am hoping to start ice skating.

Kouvola, the city I live in, is the tenth largest city in Finland with about 90,000 people. It was also voted one of the ugliest cities in Finland, but I don’t see it. I actually think Kouvola is quite beautiful. It is small and charming. It’s a major rail junction in Finland so lots of trains come through our train station. It is also just below the “Lake District” in Finland so there are lakes just about everywhere! Kouvola was originally built on paper mills. The largest one here is where my host parents both work as chemical engineers. Kouvola also has a national park, Repovesi, a small amusement park called Tykkimäki, and upwards of 5 billion coffee shops. That’s not an exaggeration. They’re everywhere! Much to the surprise of the Finnish Rotex, there are five exchange students living in Kouvola. Usually there is one. It is a great group. There is Makyla from Washington, Leah from California, Fernanda from Brazil, Jemima from Australia, and myself. Jemima is our oldie who came in January and will stay a few more months until this coming January. I go to school with her at the Kouvolan Yhteiskoulun Lukio.

School is very different in Finland. The school year is split up into five terms each lasting about two months. In each term, students select new classes to take. Each course is given a number and then the numbers are arranged on a schedule. You never have all of your classes on a single day. Also, with the way the schedule is arranged, you often start and end school at different times each day of the week. Confused yet? Last term I took History, Spanish, Philosophy, and English. This term I have Biology, English, Latin, and Music. Though students do have mandatory courses, they are pretty much free to learn whatever they like. Each grade is usually split into two or more “classes” based on the typical course path of the students. For example, my class is 12B. The 12B kids have the option of taking some courses in English. On the other hand, 12A is the math and science class and 12C is the language class (Swedish, German, Russian, etc.) At the end of the term there is an exam week that will determine if you passed your classes.

My teachers at school have been wonderful. Right now, Jemima and I are helping our English teacher organize a “language cafe” where students who are learning other languages can talk with native speakers over coffee. It will be a big event at our school in a couple of months. Also, one of my teachers has made it a class project for everyone to teach me how to roll my r’s. She said I can’t swear properly in Finnish until I learn how to.

If you have read about the Finnish educational system before you would know that it is pretty unorthodox but one of the best systems in the world. Kids don’t start school until the calendar year they turn 7. Once course exams begin for students, on an international scale they score at or near the top in math, science, and reading every year. Also, the gap between the strongest and weakest students is one of the smallest in the world. This is probably because all students are taught in the same classroom, regardless of skill level.

Teachers are selected from the top 10% of college graduates and are regarded highly in the community. The school environment, in my opinion, is much more relaxed. We call our teachers by their first names and we are not held to strict rules during the day. Does this bring complete and utter chaos? Not at all. In fact, it is a major stress reliever. Everyone knows how to behave and be responsible with school work so there seems to be no need for strict rules. I have really enjoyed getting to be a part of such an excellent school system.

The food in Finland has been pretty good so far. At school, everyone gets free lunch. This is usually some kind of salad, potatoes, meat with sauce, and bread. Most Finns will tell you it is terrible, but honestly it is not bad at all. I think the most unusual things I’ve tried so far are reindeer and moose. They were…. well…… not my favorite things. The billions of coffee shops here can be explained by the fact that Finns drink coffee all the time. My school even has a coffee maker for the students. It’s pretty great.

Now I promise, Finland is not a frozen tundra for the entire year! When I first got to Finland the weather was beautiful! Mid-70s and sunny every day. As fall rolled around it started to rain more frequently and get a bit colder. It was amazing getting to experience a real fall. All the leaves changed to bright yellow, red, and orange. Now, it is starting to get even colder! For the past few nights there has been some light snowfall and in the morning I get to wake up to white streets and a beautiful blue sky. I was worried about the cold in Finland but so far I have been enjoying it very much. We’ll see if I still feel that way come January! The sun is setting much earlier now. Some days I get out of school and it is almost pitch black! I think the actual time of the sunset is close to 4:30 and as time goes on it will be even earlier. It is crazy to think that in August the sun was still out at 9:00 pm and now, three months later, it is gone by 4:30. Welcome to Finland.

I’m not gonna lie, Finnish is hard. Like REALLY hard. In fact, it is one of the most difficult languages in the world for English speakers to learn. The fact that EVERYONE here speaks English makes it even trickier. Since I only had a month to study Finnish before I left (I’d been studying Estonian before), I didn’t have the strongest language base when I first got here. Luckily, things have improved a lot since then. When the language is all around you it is impossible not to be learning. I am constantly picking up new words and I understand more and more of what people are saying. My host family and friends are extremely helpful. They are always more than happy to teach me new words, whether they are particularly useful or not. I think my favorite so far is “kovemmalle!” which means “louder!” or “turn it up!”. I study Finnish every day in hopes that by the end of this year I will be fluent.

All in all, my life in Finland has been pretty great so far. I am well adjusted now and everything feels pretty normal. I have a life here with friends, family, school, and hobbies. Those cultural things that at first caught me off guard are just another wonderful part of everyday.

I’ve seen every star in the sky from my host family’s summer cabin.

I know that you eat cream cheese with bread, not bread with cream cheese.

I have jumped into a freezing lake after sauna.

I can tell you the bus and train schedules for Helsinki and Lappeenranta.

I know what tram to catch to get to the ferry on time.

My IPod speaks 20 different languages.

I know the best grills, coffee shops, and restaurants in Kouvola.

I know what mushrooms NOT to pick in the woods.

They know me at Grilli Kipsa.

I could name someone who is currently in or has been in almost any country in the world.

I have not known what I was eating, and liked it.

I have a global family.

I have not one home, not two homes, but three.

I feel like the luckiest person in the world.

Rotary has opened so many doors for me and, to everyone who had a hand in getting me here, I cannot thank you enough.

If you are a prospective exchange student wondering if you should apply for this program, do it; it will change your life forever! If you are a future outbound, get ready for the experience of a life time!

January 21, 2013

Fantastic:

• Public transportation. I love that I can take a bus or train literally anywhere! Though I do miss my car in the States sometimes, I think when I return I will miss Finland’s trains more. They’re cheap, they’re fast, they’re “green”, they’re always running. Get with it Florida!!!

• Sauna. I have really come to appreciate sauna. Sometimes after a long cold day it is nice to just go home and relax there. Also, jumping into a frozen something (lake, snow, cold shower, etc.) after sauna, though obviously very cold, is extremely fun and really does leave you feeling good.

• Snow. It is so much fun! I don’t know how I’ve lived without it for so long.

• Christmas. Finland goes all out for Christmas but not in the same way the U.S. does. Christmas is really something special here. The traditions are wonderful and fun and Christmas leftovers for 3-4 days is not something you complain about. Also, the real Santa (Joulupukki) is Finnish. Don’t argue, he is.

• Finnish language. It really is beautiful. It is incredibly hard to learn but once you start catching on you can’t help but feel pretty proud of what you’ve accomplished.

• Hockey. It’s not football but it is quite entertaining. Kouvola’s hockey team is comparable to Jacksonville’s football team. Not the best. The games are cheap though and always fun to watch.

• No niin. The thing you say when you don’t know what to say.

• Walking. Everything is so close here. I can walk to school, walk to the store, walk to the library, walk to the train station and it’s completely normal. I love it!

• Safety. Finland is a very safe country. Going out after dark (a.k.a. 3 in the afternoon) is not a problem at all. Though it is always good to be cautious, there really isn’t much to be afraid of here.

• Freedom. Parents are pretty trusting here and I think they are more willing to let their kids be independent. It has been an interesting and very enjoyable change of pace.

• Rye bread. Happiness.

• Pastries and coffee. The pastries are warm and flaky and the coffee is strong. How much better can it get?

• Most everything else. I love Finland!

Maybe not quite as fantastic:

• All of the fish. I don’t like fish and the fact that it is a common feature of our school lunch here isn’t exactly my favorite thing ever. Fish lovers, welcome to paradise.

• Warm winters. It snows and then it all melts away and you’re left walking in a giant dirt slushy.

• Random really cold days during the warm winter. Frozen dirt slushy = me falling on my butt in the middle of the street.

• Kouvola is a small city. There’s not always a lot going on here but I do love it. I still always manage to have fun and traveling is always an option.

• Finnish music. I’m sorry Cheek but you’re just not my favorite.

• Exchange rate/prices. A 2/3 ratio favoring the Euro. Also, Finland is wicked expensive. To put it simply, it sucks.

• Homesickness. It hits everyone eventually. Whether it’s a little or a lot, it still hurts.

A lot has happened since I last posted a blog entry. I have since changed host families, gone on the Lapland Tour, celebrated many holidays, and traveled a ton!

A few days before the Lapland tour I left the Nikkinen family to become a Hasu. I must say, I have been incredibly lucky when it comes to host families. I love both of my host families so much! I can’t help but wonder whether or not it is a coincidence that both times I have been put into very large families. We were 8 in the Nikkinen family and now in the Hasu family we make 9! There are my host parents Pekka and Helena and then my host siblings, Emmi (22), Topi (21), Simo (19), Outi (17), Iina (15), and Aino (8). It feels very normal now living with so many people. There is always something happening! Of course it took some getting used to at first but I can hardly imagine it being any other way.

But I’m getting ahead of myself here. While still living with my first host family, I got the chance to celebrate Halloween and introduce some new American traditions. We threw a Halloween party with some about 30-40 relatives and friends. Halloween really isn’t a holiday that is celebrated in Finland but the party was as great as one from the States. People went all out dressing up in costumes and we spent several days making Halloween themed foods. The night of the party, I went out with some of the kids to surprise the neighbors by trick or treating. It was great fun getting to see the neighbors’ stunned faces when they opened their doors and found eight kids dressed in funny costumes. After a cheerful “Karkki vai kepponen!” from us, our candy bags were filled with whatever loose candy or change the unsuspecting neighbors had lying around their houses. The kids had so much fun and for many of them it was their first time ever trick or treating. Th ey were so happy and excited about their candy adventure and I loved being able to tag along.

The holiday season continued with Thanksgiving in November. A couple days before the holiday I surprised my friends at school by baking them an apple pie. The smoke alarm may or may not have been set off in the baking process. Nevertheless, it was still a great pie! The actual Thanksgiving day was a bit tricky because it was the last day I was spending with my first host family. My host mom wanted to make my favorite stew since it would be my last night there. Laurel and I, therefore, made some Thanksgiving side dishes to accompany the stew. Among these were green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, rolls, and a big apple pie. Despite missing a good deal of the ingredients we needed, the Thanksgiving dishes came out great!

Shortly after switching host families I went on the long awaited Lapland tour! 130 exchange students above the Arctic Circle for 5 days. It was amazing! I got to downhill ski for the first time ever, meet some reindeer then eat some reindeer (Terrible, right?), ride along in a dog sled, see the Northern Lights, jump into the snow after sauna, snowshoe, be on the brink of frostbite, visit Santa’s village, and hang out with some incredible people from all over the world! Thank you so much Rotary for an unforgettable trip!

After returning from Lapland, my oldie, Jemima, and I helped our English teacher with the “language cafe” at our school. Basically this was a big gathering where students learning a foreign language could talk with native speakers over coffee. Since every student in Finland learns English, we had no shortage of people coming over to talk to us. Jemima and I each had our own table and over the four “rotations” our tables were always full. It was a lot of fun!

Later that same week my host brother had his graduation party and then we celebrated Independence Day (December 6). On both occasions I got to meet more of my new host family and I began to really feel more settled in.

The beginning of December also meant the beginning of the Christmas season. Joulukuu (December) literally translated is “Christmas” month! My Christmas celebrations actually started in November though with a “Pikkujoulu” party at a Rotex’s house in Kotka. All of District 1430 came together to do some hiking, grill makkara, make gingerbread cookies, drink glöggi, and meet the real Joulupukki. Later in December I went to a Rotary Christmas party and then a Christmas market in Tampere with two of my host sisters. Closer to Christmas I went with all of my host sisters and host cousins to Grandma’s house to make some traditional Christmas foods. My favorite was the porkkanalaatikko, a sort of sweet carrot and rice casserole. Delicious! On Christmas Eve, we watched a Finnish Christmas movie, ate porridge, went to sauna, had a big family dinner, and got presents from Joulupukki! Even though it was a “black Christmas” it was wonderful and absolutely unforgettable! Getting to be a part of a Finnish Christmas was an amazing experience that really reminded me how lucky I am to be here. I love Finland!

The past four months have absolutely been some of the best of my life. Finland really is an incredible country. Thinking back to when I was filling out my application, I can’t believe that I didn’t put it as one of my Top 5. Thank goodness Rotary knows what they are doing though because I am having the time of my life here! The people I have met, the things that I’ve done and seen make me realize just how lucky I am. This time last year I was only dreaming about my exchange, wishing time would move faster. Now I am here living it, savoring every second of it, and wishing time would slow down. I can’t believe it is almost halfway over.

A little advice for future exchange students, take advantage of every opportunity that is presented to you. Even if it is something small or seemingly insignificant, it may end up being one of the fondest memories from your year. The times when you take a chance on something, stepping completely out of your comfort zone and just going for it.

I have nothing but love and appreciation for Rotary. You have made so much possible for all of us exchange students. I don’t know where I would be without this year. Even in such a short time, I know that I have learned a lot and grown as a person. I can’t wait to see what adventures are in store for the rest of this year!

On homesickness, it is going to hit everyone eventually. For me, I don’t feel homesick often but sometimes something here reminds me of home and I can’t help but feel a little sad. I miss my family and friends, I miss the stupid warm Florida winters, I miss oranges, I miss the beach, and even school sometimes. It’s weird, my life in the U.S. almost feels like a dream. I love Finland though and my life here. I honestly wish I could stay forever! I know it has been said millions of times but staying busy and enjoying every second of your exchange will help make the homesickness pass. Not once have I really just wanted to quit and go back to Florida. I feel worse when I think about the fact that this year is almost halfway over than I do when I feel homesick. I am incredibly proud to be representing RYE Florida, and my country abroad and I am also incredibly proud to call the amazing countries of Finland and Estonia home. Yes, I am still very proud of the country I was switched from. Estonia always has a piece of my heart.

Every year there will likely be at least one exchange student who has their country switched. If you are like me, that switch will feel like one of the most horrible things that has ever happened to you. I had eight months in which I fell completely in love with Estonia. I was heartbroken. That month of uncertainty where there was still a chance I could be going to Estonia was one of the most stressful and emotional months of my life. I held out hope and was let down. But I did gain some amazing things from this. Like I mentioned in my last blog post, I don’t have one home, not two homes, but three. I have come to love and appreciate Finland like I do Estonia. I am so proud to have anything at all to do with these two wonderful countries. When I first got to Finland, it was very easy for me to get discouraged if something didn’t go right. I went right to thinking about how things would’ve been different in Estonia. Luckily, soon I realized how ridiculous those thoughts were. I learned to handle these problems in a better way and eventually I began to accept my situation, really enjoy my exchange, and realize that I love Finland just like I love Estonia.

If it is true that everything happens for a reason, then I think that this played out just like it was supposed to. By originally having Estonia as my country, I met one of my best friends in the entire world and I got to learn all about and fall in love with an amazing country that otherwise I probably wouldn’t have thought twice about. By being switched to Finland, I have come to love yet another amazing country, I have developed a wonderful life here in Kouvola, I have met several new friends, and I have become a member of two beautiful host families that I love like my own. Though process of switching was painful, it has made me a better and stronger person and has opened up even more incredible opportunities for me.

Though my year is already halfway over, there are still plenty of adventures to come! Thank you Rotary for letting me discover the world!

September 22, 2013

So, it’s officially official. I have lived in Tournai, Belgium for 29 days. As weird as it sounds, even though I have been here for almost a month and time feels like it’s moving so fast, it also sometimes feels like I just left yesterday. My last few weeks home were so surreal. I hung out and said my goodbyes to friends I have known for years, ate my favorite foods at my favorite restaurants, and cried a bit when my best friend spent the night at my house for the last time and as I said goodbye to my family and my whimpering dog. I remember leaving my familiar life in Sanford, Florida on Saturday August 24th at 8 am, and with a couple of tears I boarded my plane, hugged my mom, and left my old life. 24 hours later, I was in Belgium. The plane ride was long, but bearable, and I think the worst part was at night. While almost every passenger on the plane is asleep and the reality sets in, you are faced with all of the thoughts, fears, and jitters you have been trying to suppress. I sat fidgeting in my chair for most of the ride wondering if I really was as crazy as people thought I was for leaving my home that I have known my whole life.

When we touched down in Brussels, it was all kind of a blur. People started talking in languages I didn’t know, I tried to find my way through foreign customs, all the French words and sayings I spent hours memorizing disappeared, magically I somehow managed to find my bags, and rolled them to the lobby all by myself to my eagerly awaiting new family. I can’t explain what it’s like to feel at home with people you have never met, but it’s awesome.

My first host family is great and there are no words to explain how blessed I am for their open arms and support. Our house is a recently renovated barn house that is more than 100 years old. It has a little courtyard in the middle with a patio and small garden. My house is in the country side surrounded by cow pastures and lots of corn, but it only takes 10 minutes to get into the city. My bedroom is the biggest room in the house and has been painted different shades of blue and has stripes. I have my own bathroom that I share with my older host sister Tamara, but she is only home on the weekends. Both of my host parents make the best food. Like seriously, almost every meal I have eaten has been home cooked, and all of it has been delicious! Tamara and I bonded over music and when I helped her move into her apartment in Brussels. She has already taken me out to parties and such and has introduced me to her friends, and she even brought me back a little present from her trip to Spain. My little nugget Margaux is the cutest. We always play together after school and she has been teaching me the colors, how to count, and new phrases every day. I think part of the reason I feel like part of the family is because of her. I don’t expect for her to really remember me when she gets older, because she is only four, but she is the sweetest thing and I already love her so much. We can’t communicate that well, and she often gets frustrated with my poor level of French, but kindness is a universal language. And to any future exchange students, hugs from little kids make any day better. Within my first week I went to a party and tried tons of Belgian specialties including chocolate, beer, and raw ground beef which they call “the American”, I met up with all 200+ Inbound exchange students in Brussels and toured the Grand Palace and the Parliament, successfully rode my first train and bus, went to Lille, France with other exchange students for a day, and met more relatives/family friends than I can remember.

The next Wednesday I had my first real day of school. Let me just say that it is NOT at all what I expected. I attend Saint Andre, an optional boarding Catholic school that includes grades 1-6, or 7th-12th in the US, and only has about 600 students- 600 students was roughly the size of my graduating class at Seminole High School last year, so I’m still kind of shocked. My school day starts at 8:15 in the morning and usually goes until 4 pm, except on Wednesday when we start at 8:15 and end at 12:40pm. The best part of any day is study period, English class, and lunch. Study class is where I spend most of my time since my “angel” at school Pauline has at least one study class per day and if you have a study class first period or the last you can come/leave school early! English is interesting, to say the least. My teacher Ms. Delhaye HATES the American accent, so she doesn’t make me answer questions often, but the rest of the class loves to ask me about America and it is the only class where I know exactly what’s going on. I enjoy going to school because I meet new people every day, but the classes are so hard. I expected to walk into a class like math or maybe a science that I have already taken and understand a little bit of what is going on, but I don’t. The teachers are writing down English letters all jumbled up into words that look like English, but aren’t. You can’t drink water, get out of your seat, or go to the bathroom during classes. And if you are caught using your cell phone on campus, they take away your phone and you get a week’s worth of detention. Needless to say it’s been a tad bit difficult adjusting, but it is all part of the process. Tomorrow (Monday) I actually get to go on the 6th grade week long field trip. I’m so excited because it was free (thanks Rotary!) and it’s a great opportunity to bond with my new school friends. After almost 2 weeks of going to school, I still get asked the most random questions. I was asked if I owned a gun, if I go to Disney world every weekend, and if I play football. Surprisingly a lot of Belgians like to watch American football and they love that fact that I was a cheerleader, which they call pompom girls, because they don’t have anything like that in Europe. My favorite part of the week is Friday. In Belgium, Friday is the day when everyone goes out. It’s kind of funny, but right after school, most students regardless of their age practically run to Le Place Saint Pierre, a square of bars, to try and forget about their week at school with the help of a few (or many) alcoholic beverages.

Here’s a little list of things I have found that were really different than back home and just some facts about Belgian’s and their life style….

– Almost everyone smokes. If you don’t like it, it kind of sucks to be you.

– Belgians drink beer like I drink sweet tea or coffee.

– It is freaking cold and its only September, so basically in the winter I will freeze to death.

– School is kind of like a fashion show. Girls might not wear that much makeup, but they carry around purses and wear high heels, and like no one wears yoga pants/sweatpants to school.

– Scarves are always acceptable.

– When you see your friends you greet them with a kiss on the cheek. Even if there are people you don’t know, you kiss them. Oh and when you leave you have to kiss everyone goodbye, so start saying goodbye 10 minutes before you have to leave.

– People drive like a bat out of hell and all the cars are really tiny. It’s almost like trucks don’t exist because I have only seen 3.

– People will just walk out in front of your car and it is your job not to hit them even if they are not in the crosswalk.

– 5’8” is really tall for a girl here, I feel like a giant.

– Bars rarely check ID’s. I have seen kids who are 14 order beers and smoke cigarettes.

– Je suis perdue (I’m lost in French) is something I use a lot.

– French fries aren’t really French. They’re actually Belgian and they are called frittes. And they’re delicious, especially with mayonnaise. They are eaten on a weekly basis with cute miniature forks.

– The French “r” is really hard for me to say and it’s in so many words. Mecredi, Vendredi, rouge, Septembre, Octobre…you get my point.

– French is hard in general, but Dutch is practically impossible.

– Beware of the trains because sometimes there will be one long train that will split in half. One side going to Tournai and the other side going to Geraardsbergen and you will end up going to Geraardsbergen because you don’t understand what the announcements are saying and it will take you 4 hours to get home.

– Everyone wears shoes or slippers in the house.

– There are spiders everywhere, so if you are deathly afraid of them like me, Belgium might not be the best place for you.

– Belgians tend to eat a lot of food at every meal. They hold their silverware the whole time: knife in the right, fork in the left. And they love bread and potatoes.

– Belgian waffles (gaufres) are AMAZING. They are so good that they make these weird little packaged waffle thingys for snacks.

– Kinder chocolate and Speculoos cookies/spread/ice cream (those delicious spice cookies that you get on the plane) <3

So far my time here has been amazing and I couldn’t imagine my exchange year anywhere else.