Michela has her own blog to track her experiences in Italy:
https://usatoitaliarye.blogspot.it/
Monday, September 19, 2016
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Emily Williams -- Slovakia (Home Club: Salem)
Emily has a regular blog at https://fivedegreesofseparation.wordpress.com/ .
Julia Galasso -- Romania (Home Club: Cobleskill)
Host Rotary Club: Rotary Club Odorheiu Secuisc
Sponsor Rotary Club: Rotary Club Cobleskill
Host Family: György and Erika Nagy
Also, I started a blog at usatoromania.blogspot.com
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Cole Malerba -- Peru (Home Club: Colonie/Guilderland)
Date: 09/04/2016
Host Club: Rotary Club Arequipa
Sponsoring Club: Rotary Club Colonie/Guilderland
Current Host Family: Yobana Chavez and Arturo Barrios
Counselor Name: Kattia Montoya
I would like to report that I am doing well and I am healthy. I am very comfortable in my current home, and I could not be more happy with my current host family. I have a room to myself, with plenty of space for my stuff and a nice comfy bed. The family I am staying with is great. They are friendly, funny, and always trying to make sure that I am happy. They have said that I am one of their children, which is very sweet. I have two host sisters, who live with their families in the same apartment complex as my family. My host brother is currently enjoying a Rotary exchange to Switzerland. My family is always spending time eating and socializing together, another thing that I really love. Another thing I love about my family is the food. My host mom is a great cook and all the food she makes is fresh and delicious. I shared with her that I love to cook as well, and she said she wants to teach me how to cook Peruvian cuisine. My Spanish has been improving greatly since I have been here. I have found I can easily communicate all my needs with my host family.
I like my school as well. I go to school Monday-Friday from 8 am to 5:30 pm, so the school day is a little long. The students at my school are very nice and accepting of all the exchange students at my school. At my school there are a total of FIFTEEN exchange students! This is nice but it makes it harder to learn Spanish and assimilate with the other students because we all speak english to each other. Also, because there are so many of us, we have our own schedule which includes volleyball, swimming, and Spanish class.
Last Saturday I attended a Rotary meeting with my host club where I gave a presentation of myself. At the meeting I met my Rotary counselor and since then I have been communicating with her regularly through What’s App. My club president was very welcoming and I really like the other students in my host club. I received my first monthly allowance of 60 USD on August 31st.
I am so happy to be in the city of Arequipa. It is absolutely beautiful. My house is a 5-minute walk from the city center, the Plaza de Armas. There is a stunning cathedral and you can climb to the top to get a nice view of the city. Also, wherever you go in the city, you can always glimpse the volcano Misti. Because of the volcano, there are occasional tremors. Sadly, there was an earthquake in an area outside of Arequipa that resulted in much destruction and many deaths. Despite this, I feel very safe and I am confident that I know how to react in the event of an emergency.
As of right now I have no major concerns or issues to bring to your attention. I am looking forward to enjoying the rest of a fantastic exchange year. I am very grateful for this opportunity. Thank you!
Host Club: Rotary Club Arequipa
Sponsoring Club: Rotary Club Colonie/Guilderland
Current Host Family: Yobana Chavez and Arturo Barrios
Counselor Name: Kattia Montoya
I would like to report that I am doing well and I am healthy. I am very comfortable in my current home, and I could not be more happy with my current host family. I have a room to myself, with plenty of space for my stuff and a nice comfy bed. The family I am staying with is great. They are friendly, funny, and always trying to make sure that I am happy. They have said that I am one of their children, which is very sweet. I have two host sisters, who live with their families in the same apartment complex as my family. My host brother is currently enjoying a Rotary exchange to Switzerland. My family is always spending time eating and socializing together, another thing that I really love. Another thing I love about my family is the food. My host mom is a great cook and all the food she makes is fresh and delicious. I shared with her that I love to cook as well, and she said she wants to teach me how to cook Peruvian cuisine. My Spanish has been improving greatly since I have been here. I have found I can easily communicate all my needs with my host family.
I like my school as well. I go to school Monday-Friday from 8 am to 5:30 pm, so the school day is a little long. The students at my school are very nice and accepting of all the exchange students at my school. At my school there are a total of FIFTEEN exchange students! This is nice but it makes it harder to learn Spanish and assimilate with the other students because we all speak english to each other. Also, because there are so many of us, we have our own schedule which includes volleyball, swimming, and Spanish class.
Last Saturday I attended a Rotary meeting with my host club where I gave a presentation of myself. At the meeting I met my Rotary counselor and since then I have been communicating with her regularly through What’s App. My club president was very welcoming and I really like the other students in my host club. I received my first monthly allowance of 60 USD on August 31st.
I am so happy to be in the city of Arequipa. It is absolutely beautiful. My house is a 5-minute walk from the city center, the Plaza de Armas. There is a stunning cathedral and you can climb to the top to get a nice view of the city. Also, wherever you go in the city, you can always glimpse the volcano Misti. Because of the volcano, there are occasional tremors. Sadly, there was an earthquake in an area outside of Arequipa that resulted in much destruction and many deaths. Despite this, I feel very safe and I am confident that I know how to react in the event of an emergency.
As of right now I have no major concerns or issues to bring to your attention. I am looking forward to enjoying the rest of a fantastic exchange year. I am very grateful for this opportunity. Thank you!
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Emily Williams -- Slovakia (Home Club: Salem)
August 30, 2016
Wanted to let you know that I am happily settled in Piešťany and am having a great time so far! The language barrier is difficult, but no more than I expected. Also, I finally got a blog started today and would like to share the link: fivedegreesofseparation.
Wanted to let you know that I am happily settled in Piešťany and am having a great time so far! The language barrier is difficult, but no more than I expected. Also, I finally got a blog started today and would like to share the link: fivedegreesofseparation.
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Torri Herdegen -- Australia (Home Club: Delmar)
July 14, 2016)
This year was incredible. No, that doesn't quite describe it; Magnificent. No, it was more than that. The honest truth is that I do not even know how to describe how Amazing this year was!
This year has changed me so much. It's changed the way I see the world, the way I see others, and even the way I see myself. I have grown so much and have gained so much confidence.
One thing that I keep telling the Aussies is how much I love their expression "have a go". This really encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone. Through this I have just had fun learning and trying. I have discovered things about myself by stretching myself.
It feels so good having the Rotary, the school, the students, and friends all come up and thank me for being here this year. I have made a group of unforgettable friends.
The school has been amazing, the people have been the best! And the land is so pretty! I have made a second home and actually really don't want to leave.
I just want to thank everyone for their support and I appreciate everything you have done for me to have this awesome year.
Thanks heaps,
Torri
This year was incredible. No, that doesn't quite describe it; Magnificent. No, it was more than that. The honest truth is that I do not even know how to describe how Amazing this year was!
This year has changed me so much. It's changed the way I see the world, the way I see others, and even the way I see myself. I have grown so much and have gained so much confidence.
One thing that I keep telling the Aussies is how much I love their expression "have a go". This really encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone. Through this I have just had fun learning and trying. I have discovered things about myself by stretching myself.
It feels so good having the Rotary, the school, the students, and friends all come up and thank me for being here this year. I have made a group of unforgettable friends.
The school has been amazing, the people have been the best! And the land is so pretty! I have made a second home and actually really don't want to leave.
I just want to thank everyone for their support and I appreciate everything you have done for me to have this awesome year.
Thanks heaps,
Torri
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Torri Herdegen -- Australia (Home Club: Delmar)
May 31, 2016
I love Australia!! And I love being an exchange student! I can't believe I am already writing to y'all again! This month went by so fast! Too fast!
This month was my big Aussie Tour! Australia!! Oh my gosh! Australia is so so beautiful! From the red red sand of the desert to the blue blue water of the waterfalls and the ocean!
It would take ages to talk about my whole experience and all the amazing things we got to see. Plus there are not enough words to describe how awesome it was!! At the moment I am going through a post Aussie tour depression. There were 33 exchange students and 4 districts that went on this tour and we all became one huge family! We are all constantly snapchatting, talking on messenger, and or skyping each other. They were such an awesome group of people and I really do miss being with them!
To give you just a brief overview of the trip we went on I will tell you some of the highlights. We first flew to Adalaide then from there we drove to a very famous and beautiful rock called the Uluru. Haha, yes I said rock but it's huge and so popular because it is literally just a random, huge rock in the middle of the flat desert! Literally nowhere! What was so lucky is that it is a rare sight, as in it only happens once or twice a year, but it rained hard enough for the waterfalls to come down the Uluru. A sight so beautiful and so, like I said, rare. We were pretty lucky. We then traveled to Cains where we slide down waterfalls and went snorkeling/diving in the Great Barrier Reef! Moving down the coast we stopped in Arlie Beach, such a gorgeous place! Here we went snorkeling again and visited white heaven beach. The sand is so white it almost looks like snow and you could get burned in a record of 6 min if sunscreen is not applied generously. We passed through the Gold Coast and Byron Bay landing ourselves in Sydney!
Everything I saw was just amazing and the people I was with were even more amazing! I want to go back!!
This week consists of exams for school. Its so sad to face the fact that I have to start saying some goodbyes now.
It's been such a fantastic month, not to mention I am also 17 now!
I can't thank Rotary enough for everything!!!!!!
Thanks heaps,
Torri
Pic 1- my safari family infront of the Uluru
Pic2: A beautiful waterfall!
Pic3: The great barrier reef
I love Australia!! And I love being an exchange student! I can't believe I am already writing to y'all again! This month went by so fast! Too fast!
This month was my big Aussie Tour! Australia!! Oh my gosh! Australia is so so beautiful! From the red red sand of the desert to the blue blue water of the waterfalls and the ocean!
It would take ages to talk about my whole experience and all the amazing things we got to see. Plus there are not enough words to describe how awesome it was!! At the moment I am going through a post Aussie tour depression. There were 33 exchange students and 4 districts that went on this tour and we all became one huge family! We are all constantly snapchatting, talking on messenger, and or skyping each other. They were such an awesome group of people and I really do miss being with them!
To give you just a brief overview of the trip we went on I will tell you some of the highlights. We first flew to Adalaide then from there we drove to a very famous and beautiful rock called the Uluru. Haha, yes I said rock but it's huge and so popular because it is literally just a random, huge rock in the middle of the flat desert! Literally nowhere! What was so lucky is that it is a rare sight, as in it only happens once or twice a year, but it rained hard enough for the waterfalls to come down the Uluru. A sight so beautiful and so, like I said, rare. We were pretty lucky. We then traveled to Cains where we slide down waterfalls and went snorkeling/diving in the Great Barrier Reef! Moving down the coast we stopped in Arlie Beach, such a gorgeous place! Here we went snorkeling again and visited white heaven beach. The sand is so white it almost looks like snow and you could get burned in a record of 6 min if sunscreen is not applied generously. We passed through the Gold Coast and Byron Bay landing ourselves in Sydney!
Everything I saw was just amazing and the people I was with were even more amazing! I want to go back!!
This week consists of exams for school. Its so sad to face the fact that I have to start saying some goodbyes now.
It's been such a fantastic month, not to mention I am also 17 now!
I can't thank Rotary enough for everything!!!!!!
Thanks heaps,
Torri
Pic 1- my safari family infront of the Uluru
Pic2: A beautiful waterfall!
Pic3: The great barrier reef
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