From a District 6220 student in her country for 8 months:
If only someone had told me a year ago that I’d be here… Would I have believed them? A year ago I was living in a small city in northern Wisconsin anxiously awaiting the impending adventure. But did I know what I was in for? I’m pretty sure that I had no idea. I signed up for exchange, for a year full of laughs, new friends, and a new language. But now I am sure that I had no idea what was really in store.
Eight months have flown by, and I have learned so much! Not speaking the language well has taught me an incredible amount of patience. Stumbling around for words that often times are incorrect has taught me humility in large quantities, and homesickness has taught me strength. As the days go by, I don’t feel myself changing. But when I look back on who I was when I arrived 8 months ago, I am left with no doubt that I have.
And through it all I have made friendships that will last a lifetime and for eternity. From my international friends to the ones here in my country, they have all helped me immensely. My exchange student friends are always there when I just need a friend who speaks my language (literally) and my host country friends never fail to help me with my new language. I have had countless of the “unforgettable nights” and memories to never forget, and I hope that my friends enjoyed them just as much as I did.
This country will forever have a special place in my heart. My friends, no matter what country they are from, have always been there for me. I would not want it any other way. Through the ups and downs, I know that I have friends all over the world that care about me. And just think about it, I’m only 17 and have a long life of traveling ahead of me.
This is just the start.