The Last of the Lasts

2 years ago I never would have pictured myself sitting in this chair writing a "blog" that in less than 12 hours, hundreds of people would be reading all across the world. 2 years ago, turning 17 seemed a lifetime away. . . 2 years ago going on exchange was nothing but a dream, spending a year in a country and building a life there seemed unimaginable. Australia was a far off place and the word "Host family" was still a new term in my vocabulary. I didn't think that it was physically possible to live in a place where the temperature rose above 110 degrees Fahrenheit. . .I didn't think it was possible to change so much in a year. As far as I was concerned, Durango was where it was at and everything else was a whole different world, to far away to have any impact on my life. I looked at a map, pointed out Europe and thought, "boy, the day when I get to that country. . . .the day that I go somewhere so far away. . .wow" and now I look at Europe and think, "hey, that's where Luca lives. . . And that's Katja's home town. . . Look! Sarah's been there."

2 years later, I have a personal connection to dozens of countries around the world. . . and I realize what a rare thing that is. How many people can start a conversation with the sentence "my friend from Switzerland and I. . .dot dot dot. . ."How many people even know - and I mean really know - someone from another part of the world? How many people have taken the time to set aside the differences that come with being "foreigners" to sit down and really have a meaningful conversation with someone from a different country? How many people have had that opportunity? The thing that immediately pops into my mind after writing that sentence is "What about language barriers?" but with exchange students that doesn't matter. We could speak 15 languages between 30 of us and still understand what we meant to say. As an Exchange Student I have permanent connections to hundreds of people, people that I've never even met, from places I've never even been. Being an Exchange Student is like being part of an exclusive club that's there to help the world become One. Even though we are rarely from the same country, let alone the same town, we have a shared experience - no matter what country we've gone to or what country we're from - and that alone is enough unite us as if we'd known one another other from birth. That's exactly what Youth Exchange - what ever the program - is about. Uniting the world, helping people to set aside their differences and to simply get to know each other. It's a powerful thing to be a Rotary Youth Exchange Student. We are powerful people, we can help the world in a way that no one else can.

Now, you might be thinking that I'm making a big deal of nothing and that's a common problem for long term Exchange Students, it seems that the only other people who understand are the other long term Exchange Students. And it's a damn good thing that there are thousands of us out there. Weather you're an Outbound, an Inbound, a Rebounder or if you've been back for 20 years. You will always be a Rotary Youth Exchange Student and you will forever hold an important position within that international community.

Through this exchange, over the last year of my life - one year out of a lifetime - has helped me to build bridges, to make friends from all over the globe, to change myself and to become a part of a international community. I will always be a Rotary Youth Exchange Student, no matter how old I get or how far I move from 'home' I can always hold that title and rely on the people in that international community. And let me tell you, I hold that title with an immense amount of pride in my heart and gratitude in my being. Because if it weren't for Rotary or my biological parents or my Host Families or the friends I made in my host country or the Exchange Students I've met both overseas and here in my native country, I would not be who I am today. I owe so much of who I am and what I've become to so many different people that it's hard to say thank you enough times to everyone I owe those two words to. So let this be my thank you to you. This blog, this opening. . . essay if you will. . .is my thank you. I'm dedicating this to everyone who impacted my exchange in even the slightest way because without that year, without Australia, I would not know who I am and I would not be who I am today. So thank you because I absolutely love the person this year has made me out to be.

Just for blog's sake, I'll tell you what happened on the way home. . .

Over a week ago I went to the Adelaide Airport with my 2nd Host family - somewhat prepared for the journey ahead of me. I had managed to pack my life into two suitcases, a carry on and a laptop bag. It's really strange being able to look at a pile of things and know that that is everything that you own. Especially when that pile is only this big.It's really strange being able to look at a pile of things and know that that is everything that you own. Especially when that pile is only this big.


After making it through security and to the gate, we said our final goodbyes. I cried. . .they cried. . .we all cried together. It was an extremely sad moment. Don't look to closely at our faces, people tend to be ugly when they're balling their eyes out. However, I did luck out in that I flew from Adelaide to Sydney with two other Exchange Students, making the journey easier as they provided ample distraction.

This is the last photo taken of me in Australia. Me in my Rotary blazer in front of the plane to America. All of my flights went according to plan. I spent about 20 hours in the air and 10 hours hanging out in airports and I arrived safely on the other side of the world.


I had managed to pack up my life, hop on a plane and fly to a place that, at one time, was "familiar". It doesn't make sense that my fellow Americans have accents, the food tastes strange, the trees are different and everything is as strange as Australia was on that first day. My house no longer feels like my home and it hurts thinking/knowing that Australia can't really be my home - it was only a year but it was the best, most meaningful year of my life and one week ago, I had the courage to leave everything that I cared about only to have to face a new life in an old country. Where, no matter how strange things may seem, I'm the only one to have changed to the extent that I have. I'm the only one to have seen the things that I have, to have experienced all that I have experienced. And this is the last of a long string of lasts. I had my last day of Australian school, my last drink of Aussie grog, my last hug from my best mate, my last Rotary meeting, my last 4 minute shower, my last laugh with my host dad and my last baking session with my host mum. This makes it official, it is the last of the lasts. You have no idea how terrifying that is. You spend so much of your time counting down while your on exchange, 3 weeks till this trip, 4 day till I fly to my host country, 1 month till I move host families, it goes on and on. In a way the three years of your life that you dedicate to this process when you sign up (applying/outbound, living in your host country/inbound, coming home and readjusting/rebound) is a massive countdown to the day where life will be normal again. Only problem is, life is never normal before, during or after exchange. It changes you and the course of your life forever. Sometimes I have this fleeting thought where I wish that Australia had never happened, but then I scold myself and remember that it was the best thing that ever happened to me. But it will forever remain true that my life would be much less complicated with out this year. Sometimes it seems unbearable, time goes on forever and other times the hole that Australia has created in my heart only lets off a dull ache in my heart. Exchange is full of ups and downs, highs and lows. It's defiantly one roller coaster ride that I will never forget.