May 29, 2008
Ahoj, So, here I am with less than 4 weeks in this country and I'm not so sure I'm ready to say goodbye and leave. Another boy in my town here is leaving in less than 2 weeks, which I can't imagine, but it'll be here all too soon.
May here has seemed very similar to May at home, when kids are getting antsy in school and the weather is getting warmer and people are outside wearing t-shirts and sandals. It's been beautiful here and the fields are FULL of bright yellow blossoms, it's amazing! We have corn fields everywhere at home, but here it is all bright, beautiful yellow, (used for oil).
We've had a few Rotary functions this month, one of which was a benefit concert. We had to dress in our lovely Rotary jackets with the pins and present some flowers to people on stage. It was pretty amusing (mostly for people in the audience) because not even the people in charge knew exactly when or to whom we were supposed to present them. Afterwards, we were invited to a little gathering and I got to meet some Rotarians from Germany and the Netherlands, so that made it exciting.
Last weekend, we had the Rotary District Conference in Prague. We got to meet the Slovakian exchange students and we presented and sang some songs for the Rotarians then had a big fancy lunch with everyone. It was the last time I saw a lot of my exchange friends and it was really difficult to say goodbye. It made me realize that the end is nearing and it officially hit me that this year is over and I have more, harder goodbyes to do soon.
The next two weekends there are some exciting things planned in Trebic, like a rock festival. It's supposively very notorious and there will even be an American band there. I'm excited to hear some live music and do something outside because the weather is finally nice enough.
There are so many things I realize I need to accomplish before I leave here and I just hope I can do it all. It's going to be a miracle to fit all my things in my two suitcases and bring them back to the States. I know the sun is finally coming out in NY as well, so enjoy it! I will be returning on june 24 and seeing you all soon! Take care!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Jessica Wilke -- Poland
May 26, 2008
I cant believe how long it has been since I have written! (I'm sorry!)
Ive been living with my 5th host family (counting the family i lived with for the 1st 2 weeks i lived in poland) for about 2 months now. Id say they are defiently my favorite family, and having 3 daughters there's always something going on! With them I've also gotten to go to many musical shows; philharmonica, an opera, a saxophone concert, and seen different parts of poland as well, which was great because the other families were also too busy for that.
In the begining of May as well as visiting family with my host family, was the 3rd exchange conference in Cracow (for sure one of my favorite cities in Poland!). It of course was tons of fun being with everyone again but also a very important time because we attended the March of the Living in Auszwitz (one of the largest concentration camps) where thousands of Jews gathered from all over the world to march through and around the camp. Going there was one of the most important things to me, to go and do while I was here in Poland. Although, as great as it was to be a part of something like that, it also took away from the solemness in this place, because of the joy that was there as this march is about conquering this horrible time and the fact that there still are millons of jews today. So i would really have liked to go a different time as well, that i could just really have the time and quietness to be in this place.
On a different note, the reality of this year coming to an end seems to be ever present in these last few weeks. It seems to be the most popular subject with just about everyone I talk to, in Poland and back home :( Last week I spent the week in Torun visitng my 1st host family and the other exchange students living there and most of the time we just sat by the river in the sun and talked about the year, and how we've changed and what we have experienced (mostly practicing answering the obvious questions we will be asked a million times when we get home haha). I didn't think I would feel so sad but the fact that this place, which has has been my home for the last year(through the best and worst times of my life) and the fact that most likely i will never see the majority of the people ive met here, ever again!
At this point im just planning my last few days here, trying to make the most of it and making sure to say goodbye to everyone that i can! And also, today is the last rotary meeting I will be attending and i will say a short speech in polish, saying goodbye and thanking them for allowing me to be here.
This Thursday is the last exchance student conference, its near the Baltic sea and should be the best meeting but also the sadest!!!! On sunday starts our 3 week Euro trip for those who are going (and for those who arent ill be saying goodbye to that day.) I am so excited to be going to; Germany, Holland, Belgium. France, Monaco, Italy and Hungary!! It's for sure the best way to end my year here and 2 days after i get back from this trip i will be going back to the USA.
Thank you so much for this opportunity, it really has been the best year of my life. Being an exchange student is something that can't really be understood unless you have experienced it. My friend has this saying "Americans don't get it, poles dont get it, only americans in poland get it". Of course its not just americans or just going to poland, but the point is the same. This year will forever be the hearts of all the exchange students all over the world this year, and now i can really understand why, when i talk to past exchangers, their year away still sticks out so much to them, as being one of the best!
-Jessica (poland)
I cant believe how long it has been since I have written! (I'm sorry!)
Ive been living with my 5th host family (counting the family i lived with for the 1st 2 weeks i lived in poland) for about 2 months now. Id say they are defiently my favorite family, and having 3 daughters there's always something going on! With them I've also gotten to go to many musical shows; philharmonica, an opera, a saxophone concert, and seen different parts of poland as well, which was great because the other families were also too busy for that.
In the begining of May as well as visiting family with my host family, was the 3rd exchange conference in Cracow (for sure one of my favorite cities in Poland!). It of course was tons of fun being with everyone again but also a very important time because we attended the March of the Living in Auszwitz (one of the largest concentration camps) where thousands of Jews gathered from all over the world to march through and around the camp. Going there was one of the most important things to me, to go and do while I was here in Poland. Although, as great as it was to be a part of something like that, it also took away from the solemness in this place, because of the joy that was there as this march is about conquering this horrible time and the fact that there still are millons of jews today. So i would really have liked to go a different time as well, that i could just really have the time and quietness to be in this place.
On a different note, the reality of this year coming to an end seems to be ever present in these last few weeks. It seems to be the most popular subject with just about everyone I talk to, in Poland and back home :( Last week I spent the week in Torun visitng my 1st host family and the other exchange students living there and most of the time we just sat by the river in the sun and talked about the year, and how we've changed and what we have experienced (mostly practicing answering the obvious questions we will be asked a million times when we get home haha). I didn't think I would feel so sad but the fact that this place, which has has been my home for the last year(through the best and worst times of my life) and the fact that most likely i will never see the majority of the people ive met here, ever again!
At this point im just planning my last few days here, trying to make the most of it and making sure to say goodbye to everyone that i can! And also, today is the last rotary meeting I will be attending and i will say a short speech in polish, saying goodbye and thanking them for allowing me to be here.
This Thursday is the last exchance student conference, its near the Baltic sea and should be the best meeting but also the sadest!!!! On sunday starts our 3 week Euro trip for those who are going (and for those who arent ill be saying goodbye to that day.) I am so excited to be going to; Germany, Holland, Belgium. France, Monaco, Italy and Hungary!! It's for sure the best way to end my year here and 2 days after i get back from this trip i will be going back to the USA.
Thank you so much for this opportunity, it really has been the best year of my life. Being an exchange student is something that can't really be understood unless you have experienced it. My friend has this saying "Americans don't get it, poles dont get it, only americans in poland get it". Of course its not just americans or just going to poland, but the point is the same. This year will forever be the hearts of all the exchange students all over the world this year, and now i can really understand why, when i talk to past exchangers, their year away still sticks out so much to them, as being one of the best!
-Jessica (poland)
Kristen Kilpeck -- Mexico
May 20, 2008
Hi Everyone from Rotary!
Ive been super busy this past month with our Gran Viaje, or big trip, around all of southern Mexico. I had the best time of my life living and traveling with all of the other exchange students and getting to know all of southern Mexico. I came back to Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca (where I live) the 11th and then headed out the 15th to Puebla to stay with my older sister, and then to Mexico City to pick up my other sister who spent a year in Belgium from the airport. In Puebla my family and I went to AfricaM Safari (who knows why its spelled with an m), we went shopping, to the movie theatre, to the Puebla Fair, and we went out to an italian restaurant to celebrate my birthday,which was in January, because I never got a chance to celebrate it with this family. I just got back to Puerto Escondido last night, and this morning I went to my school with my host sister who stayed in Belgium to visit all of our friends that we havent seen in a while. This Friday is Students Day in Mexico and we only have a few hours of class and then a music competition. Im planning on doing my presentation on NY this Friday as well, and then Saturday Ill be heading out with my first host mother to Mexico City to catch my flight back to New York the 28th of May.
Everythings going very well, we actually are discussing the Welcome Back party for my sister today and my presentation for Friday as I type so I have to get going. But I just wanted to keep everyone in touch, I hope everythings going well up in New York, and Ill see you all within a week!!
TAKE CARE!!!
Kristen
Hi Everyone from Rotary!
Ive been super busy this past month with our Gran Viaje, or big trip, around all of southern Mexico. I had the best time of my life living and traveling with all of the other exchange students and getting to know all of southern Mexico. I came back to Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca (where I live) the 11th and then headed out the 15th to Puebla to stay with my older sister, and then to Mexico City to pick up my other sister who spent a year in Belgium from the airport. In Puebla my family and I went to AfricaM Safari (who knows why its spelled with an m), we went shopping, to the movie theatre, to the Puebla Fair, and we went out to an italian restaurant to celebrate my birthday,which was in January, because I never got a chance to celebrate it with this family. I just got back to Puerto Escondido last night, and this morning I went to my school with my host sister who stayed in Belgium to visit all of our friends that we havent seen in a while. This Friday is Students Day in Mexico and we only have a few hours of class and then a music competition. Im planning on doing my presentation on NY this Friday as well, and then Saturday Ill be heading out with my first host mother to Mexico City to catch my flight back to New York the 28th of May.
Everythings going very well, we actually are discussing the Welcome Back party for my sister today and my presentation for Friday as I type so I have to get going. But I just wanted to keep everyone in touch, I hope everythings going well up in New York, and Ill see you all within a week!!
TAKE CARE!!!
Kristen
Rachel Hoffmann -- Bolivia
Friday, May 30, 2008
Saludos para todos!!!
Hello Everyone, I know it has been a long time since Ive written, but I figured I should still let you all know what is going on. I only have 17 more days until I am back in the big USA, and have really mixed feelings about it. Of course I am so excited to see my family, but I really really really dont want to leave this place. It has been such an amazzzzzzzzing year and its hard when things come to an end. I´ll be back June 16th.
Lets see....to catch up on what I have been up to... well, I am in love with my family. I switched in February and honestly I am so incredibly happy I did. It was a choice I wasnt really sure I wanted to make, but I am so happy now. I was happy before and I had a really great family also, but I am just feeling so comfortable with this one. They really have taken me in as another daughter and I just have the best time with them. I am not supposed to know, but my mom apparently is making plans to come visit the USA already. I will miss them so much. I have kind of finished the University. It has been going so great. They call me ¨La Reina de la U¨which is the queen of the university. I have such a fun time there, I get to see all of my friends and I have actually learned quite a bit in my geopolitica class. The semester ends on Monday so I think thats probably it for me. I was lucky to take a trip with my class about a monthago. We had such a fun time together.
Last weekend I went to a place called Samaipata with my family. We rented a cabaña and even though the weather wasnt perfect, we had a really nice time. The most dangerous road in the world is supposedly on the way to Las Yungas in La Paz, where theres pretty much one lane, you, and a huge cliff. I have never been there, but I joked that the road to Samaipata is the second most dangerous road. There are rockslides and probably enough room comfortably for one and a half cars. Then the cliff. But it was hard to be too scared because the view was just so amazingly beautiful. There were mountains rolling everywhere covered in trees, it was georgous. On the side of the road there were country people selling manderinas. Samaipata is in the valley of Santa Cruz, and its famous because well one, its beautiful, two, that is where Che Guevara spent the last days of his life and was killed in a town close by, by our very own CIA, and three,many years before the Incans built and lived in this really amazing ruins up on this mountain. So we went up to see the ruins in the afternoon, they call it the ¨fuerte¨or fort. It was just really amazing to have a 360 degree view of beautiful mountains, and I just thought that it was pretty obvious why they chose that place to live. It was so peaceful. We were up there for the sunset, it was really great.
It was one of my favorite places Ive been too, but then again, it seems like every place I go is my favorite, only that they are so distinto and I dont like one more than the other. I just love everything here!!
Its finally getting cold here. I mean its probably not cold for you guys, but when it was 95 one day and the next it is like 50, theres a huge change. And I dont know, the cold is different here. They are just starting their winter. I even have this big jacket that I have to wear because Im so cold. I feel like Im just not used to it though. At first I thought it was refreshing, but now Im really looking forward to hot weather again.
We are starting to do all of our ¨despedidas¨here. Which are the going away parties. I have had a few friends go home already, and Im starting to hate the airport. Everytime I go there it is a little reminder that my turn isnt too far off. But we are enjoying everything we can these last couple of weeks. Tonight I am going out with all of my friends and we are having a party at the place where I dance salsa. All of my salsa friends are coming, along with the exchange students, and friends from the U. So it should be really fun.
Well, I wish everyone the best, I know that you are all starting your summers and enjoying being together. I will try to write one last email before I go home, but if not, then you all know Im a litlte closer than I am now. Just in Minnesota. I miss you all so much!
See some of you in DC in about three months!!!!
Love,
Rach (Raquelita)
Saludos para todos!!!
Hello Everyone, I know it has been a long time since Ive written, but I figured I should still let you all know what is going on. I only have 17 more days until I am back in the big USA, and have really mixed feelings about it. Of course I am so excited to see my family, but I really really really dont want to leave this place. It has been such an amazzzzzzzzing year and its hard when things come to an end. I´ll be back June 16th.
Lets see....to catch up on what I have been up to... well, I am in love with my family. I switched in February and honestly I am so incredibly happy I did. It was a choice I wasnt really sure I wanted to make, but I am so happy now. I was happy before and I had a really great family also, but I am just feeling so comfortable with this one. They really have taken me in as another daughter and I just have the best time with them. I am not supposed to know, but my mom apparently is making plans to come visit the USA already. I will miss them so much. I have kind of finished the University. It has been going so great. They call me ¨La Reina de la U¨which is the queen of the university. I have such a fun time there, I get to see all of my friends and I have actually learned quite a bit in my geopolitica class. The semester ends on Monday so I think thats probably it for me. I was lucky to take a trip with my class about a monthago. We had such a fun time together.
Last weekend I went to a place called Samaipata with my family. We rented a cabaña and even though the weather wasnt perfect, we had a really nice time. The most dangerous road in the world is supposedly on the way to Las Yungas in La Paz, where theres pretty much one lane, you, and a huge cliff. I have never been there, but I joked that the road to Samaipata is the second most dangerous road. There are rockslides and probably enough room comfortably for one and a half cars. Then the cliff. But it was hard to be too scared because the view was just so amazingly beautiful. There were mountains rolling everywhere covered in trees, it was georgous. On the side of the road there were country people selling manderinas. Samaipata is in the valley of Santa Cruz, and its famous because well one, its beautiful, two, that is where Che Guevara spent the last days of his life and was killed in a town close by, by our very own CIA, and three,many years before the Incans built and lived in this really amazing ruins up on this mountain. So we went up to see the ruins in the afternoon, they call it the ¨fuerte¨or fort. It was just really amazing to have a 360 degree view of beautiful mountains, and I just thought that it was pretty obvious why they chose that place to live. It was so peaceful. We were up there for the sunset, it was really great.
It was one of my favorite places Ive been too, but then again, it seems like every place I go is my favorite, only that they are so distinto and I dont like one more than the other. I just love everything here!!
Its finally getting cold here. I mean its probably not cold for you guys, but when it was 95 one day and the next it is like 50, theres a huge change. And I dont know, the cold is different here. They are just starting their winter. I even have this big jacket that I have to wear because Im so cold. I feel like Im just not used to it though. At first I thought it was refreshing, but now Im really looking forward to hot weather again.
We are starting to do all of our ¨despedidas¨here. Which are the going away parties. I have had a few friends go home already, and Im starting to hate the airport. Everytime I go there it is a little reminder that my turn isnt too far off. But we are enjoying everything we can these last couple of weeks. Tonight I am going out with all of my friends and we are having a party at the place where I dance salsa. All of my salsa friends are coming, along with the exchange students, and friends from the U. So it should be really fun.
Well, I wish everyone the best, I know that you are all starting your summers and enjoying being together. I will try to write one last email before I go home, but if not, then you all know Im a litlte closer than I am now. Just in Minnesota. I miss you all so much!
See some of you in DC in about three months!!!!
Love,
Rach (Raquelita)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Alice Kelly -- Spain
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Hola! Well the year is really winding down. I can´t believe it. It feels like just yesterday that I was on the phone with the Spanish Consulate,crying, because my visa had been denied, and now I´m on the phone with my parents arranging my return date. I leave in 4 weeks and I´m pretty sad.
This past month has been great. I went to Madrid the 1st through the 4th for the holiday weekend with some of the other exchange students, It was the best! I will miss the other students a lot! We have become really close. If any of you will be in Madrid at some point watch out for your stuff, cell phones books and entire backpacks were taken from us... Not fun!
This month I have my graduation from my highschool here. I´m excited to see what we´re going to be doing, so far it sounds quite close to the graduation I had last year at home, with a slide show and music.
I hope everyone is doing well!
Alice Kelly
Torrevieja Spain
Hola! Well the year is really winding down. I can´t believe it. It feels like just yesterday that I was on the phone with the Spanish Consulate,crying, because my visa had been denied, and now I´m on the phone with my parents arranging my return date. I leave in 4 weeks and I´m pretty sad.
This past month has been great. I went to Madrid the 1st through the 4th for the holiday weekend with some of the other exchange students, It was the best! I will miss the other students a lot! We have become really close. If any of you will be in Madrid at some point watch out for your stuff, cell phones books and entire backpacks were taken from us... Not fun!
This month I have my graduation from my highschool here. I´m excited to see what we´re going to be doing, so far it sounds quite close to the graduation I had last year at home, with a slide show and music.
I hope everyone is doing well!
Alice Kelly
Torrevieja Spain
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Lauren Bardin -- Czech Republic
April 28, 2008
Ahoj! How is everyone?
I can't believe that I'm down to only two months left here. I will fly home June 24th and it just doesn't seem real that it is actually a few days short of two months. I don't know how it'll feel to not hear Czech, see Czech, and enjoy the Czechness of everything around me. I'm going to miss almost everything about this place...even the not-so-subtle hints of remaining Communism. (Mom, Dad, and Kev could explain that for you, they saw it!)
My time spent with Mom, Dad, and Kevin was amazing! It felt so great to laugh and travel with them and we saw so many beautiful places. I met them in Malaga, Spain and we spent six days on the coast of southern Spain. We traveled to Rhonda, Granda, and Morocco and it was all gorgeous. It was so great to see the culture and people of Morocco (Africa!), that's something I definitely didn't expect to experience for my year here. Spain was wonderful; the weather was perfect, although Mom and I didn't get a chance for a real tan. But, as my dad said, you can't go all the way to Europe just to lay in the same sun. Next, we traveled Czech Republic and they got to see Prague, Cesky Krumlov, and Trebic. They actually got to meet all three of my host families and taste the delicious home cooking of each one. That is definitely a priceless experience I think. I know they really loved my host families and Trebic and especially the countryside of Czech. I'm glad they saw it now with its green fields and blooming cherry trees, because they definitely missed the long, gray, months of winter. It is so beautiful here though and I think it takes driving through the countryside, in and out of countless little villages, to really understand why.
Saying goodbye was difficult, as expected, but I just kept thinking I only had two months left as a Czech, so that thought actually overcame the others. I will see everyone and home again in less than two SHORT months and then this life is over, so I'll have to embrace every day as much as possible.
My family left on Wednesday and I was back in Trebic for only two nights then off for another trip with Rotary. Early Friday I woke up and traveled to another city in CR where all the exchange students met up and we filed onto a bus to begin our journey to Venice, Italy! We spent 3 days together.....with no showering. Yikes! Scary thought? Yessss. But it didn't matter because it was an amazing trip and it was the last thing on our minds. (Kind of last). We stopped in Salzburg, Austria and walked around the city at night and got to see it's famous sites as well. Then we drove all night until we arrived outside of Venice at about 6:30AM. We walked into the city and spent the entire day there. I went into one of the museums in the main square, San Marco Square, and got to see some artwork of Bellini!! You might know his very famous painting, Madonna Enthrowned with Child, which I got to see. Also, his famous brother, Giovanni Bellini. We got to walk the streets of Venice, which by the way are extremely small and crowded. After about 30 minutes walking and getting lost, I needed to escape to the seaside and lay in the sun without being shoulder to shoulder with strangers. The weather was brilliant and it couldn't have been better, I need to go back!! I also got a taste of some real Italian cuisine! Oh, and I actually heard a true Italian man say, "Mamma Mia!" That was a highlight for sure.
So, now I'm back to boring old Trebic. No, just kidding, Trebic is far from boring. I'll be back to school and the norm until the next big adventure. We have our Rotary district conference is about a month and that's the real last meeting for all the exchange students.
This is more than just the "last stretch" now, it's really the end. But, I never say goodbye, just, "See you again." I hope everyone is doing just fine and I can't wait to see you all when I return! Enjoy the Spring weather!!
Laurinka
Ahoj! How is everyone?
I can't believe that I'm down to only two months left here. I will fly home June 24th and it just doesn't seem real that it is actually a few days short of two months. I don't know how it'll feel to not hear Czech, see Czech, and enjoy the Czechness of everything around me. I'm going to miss almost everything about this place...even the not-so-subtle hints of remaining Communism. (Mom, Dad, and Kev could explain that for you, they saw it!)
My time spent with Mom, Dad, and Kevin was amazing! It felt so great to laugh and travel with them and we saw so many beautiful places. I met them in Malaga, Spain and we spent six days on the coast of southern Spain. We traveled to Rhonda, Granda, and Morocco and it was all gorgeous. It was so great to see the culture and people of Morocco (Africa!), that's something I definitely didn't expect to experience for my year here. Spain was wonderful; the weather was perfect, although Mom and I didn't get a chance for a real tan. But, as my dad said, you can't go all the way to Europe just to lay in the same sun. Next, we traveled Czech Republic and they got to see Prague, Cesky Krumlov, and Trebic. They actually got to meet all three of my host families and taste the delicious home cooking of each one. That is definitely a priceless experience I think. I know they really loved my host families and Trebic and especially the countryside of Czech. I'm glad they saw it now with its green fields and blooming cherry trees, because they definitely missed the long, gray, months of winter. It is so beautiful here though and I think it takes driving through the countryside, in and out of countless little villages, to really understand why.
Saying goodbye was difficult, as expected, but I just kept thinking I only had two months left as a Czech, so that thought actually overcame the others. I will see everyone and home again in less than two SHORT months and then this life is over, so I'll have to embrace every day as much as possible.
My family left on Wednesday and I was back in Trebic for only two nights then off for another trip with Rotary. Early Friday I woke up and traveled to another city in CR where all the exchange students met up and we filed onto a bus to begin our journey to Venice, Italy! We spent 3 days together.....with no showering. Yikes! Scary thought? Yessss. But it didn't matter because it was an amazing trip and it was the last thing on our minds. (Kind of last). We stopped in Salzburg, Austria and walked around the city at night and got to see it's famous sites as well. Then we drove all night until we arrived outside of Venice at about 6:30AM. We walked into the city and spent the entire day there. I went into one of the museums in the main square, San Marco Square, and got to see some artwork of Bellini!! You might know his very famous painting, Madonna Enthrowned with Child, which I got to see. Also, his famous brother, Giovanni Bellini. We got to walk the streets of Venice, which by the way are extremely small and crowded. After about 30 minutes walking and getting lost, I needed to escape to the seaside and lay in the sun without being shoulder to shoulder with strangers. The weather was brilliant and it couldn't have been better, I need to go back!! I also got a taste of some real Italian cuisine! Oh, and I actually heard a true Italian man say, "Mamma Mia!" That was a highlight for sure.
So, now I'm back to boring old Trebic. No, just kidding, Trebic is far from boring. I'll be back to school and the norm until the next big adventure. We have our Rotary district conference is about a month and that's the real last meeting for all the exchange students.
This is more than just the "last stretch" now, it's really the end. But, I never say goodbye, just, "See you again." I hope everyone is doing just fine and I can't wait to see you all when I return! Enjoy the Spring weather!!
Laurinka
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