My year as an exchange student

Once upon a time I went to a place far far away. I moved to Florida, to stay with an American family, to be a part of their lives and to receive a new gift of life. The gift of insider knowledge of a foreign country, becoming bilingual, multicultural, split at heart. To be an exchange student is one of the biggest gifts I can think about. Of course it's hard, it's a personal challenge, but if you can conquer it, it will turn out to be one of the biggest experiences you'll ever have. It's a great way to mature, to learn, to grow and it's especially an amazing way to learn more about yourself. I have learned that I am insanely curious about the world and it's wonders. I want to wander. I want to see it all. I don't always care with whom or how to travel, but I care that I do something for the experience of it. As an exchange student I met so many people who influenced my life. I met people who I will never ever forget, people that surprised me, people who taught me how to throw away the fear of being wrong, and I met people that I care so much about that I have done the effort of seeing them again multiple times.

It's scary to take the step into a new world. It scares me to leave and just go, it still does. But when you go, you'll figure out the best way to live, is to live fully. This year I had more experiences than ever before, I saw so many new places, talked to so many new people, learned way too many new things, and tasted too much new food. I went all around the US (I think I visited about 13 states just during those 11 months) with new friends who were in the exact same situation as myself. You see, the thing is, when meeting other exchange students you'll just connect. Not because you necessarily are the same person on a lot of levels, but because you are made out of the same. Because both of you are eager to get the most out of the year. Both of you'll be away from everything you know, so you'll be able to depend on each other and use each other as a safety net.

This is probably, for me, where it all began. Where I started seizing new places, where I started to wander.