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.

The Last Supper (S)

Yes, it is plural. That's how much I'm loved :) But unlike Jesus' last supper, they didn't write some silly book called "The Da Vinci Code" about me. . . or was it the Bible? Hmmmm. . . Anyway, we had a grand ol' time at the pub (no, not a bar, a restaurant)on Sunday night. There was circus acts (as seen in Exhibit A), good food and a room full of people just for me. 35 of them to be exact :)

Exhibit A (Amy and Dylan)

On Friday night I had an old fart farewell tea (no, we didn't just drink a cup of tea while politely chating about the weather and holding cucumber sandwiches with our pinkies pointed in queer directions. . .we had dinner). The kind where I had to cut up all their food into tiny pieces so that they could manage to chew it and help them to their chairs, making sure they didn't fall. . .the joys of living with host parents in their fifty's. You can hear their bones creaking from a kilometer away and you can see the shine of their bald spots from across the room. I feel for ya Andrew :P

Here we have (L to R) Steve (We can see your face this time! And what a sight that is. . .) and Lisa, Andrew and Karen (hosties) and Don and Jenny

And just and FYI, I'm blogging as much as possible between now any my return to the States because I plan on doing one post after I get back, just as a reflection kind of thing, then I'm packing it up, I'm callin it quits and I'm making a book out of it. It'll be a strange thing to not 'Blog' about my life. For once I might have some privacy, I'll no longer have to share my every move with the likes of you. . .yeah, I'll miss it too. Surprisingly enough, I've grown rather fond of being stalked over the net by large groups of people. . .

Shakin in my Boots

Have you ever felt like you've got a million things to do and no time to do it, except, when you think about it, you don't know what it is you need to do and still, there isn't enough time to do it? Welcome to my life mate. . .This morning, I realized for the first time what it means to only have 6 days left in in a place. 6 sleeps isn't enough rest to prepare me for the journey ahead. 6 breakfasts isn't enough to eat the amount of Aussie cereal's I'd like to. 6 afternoon tea's isn't enough to get my fill of Timtams. 6 mornings, 6 arvo's and 6 late nights isn't enough time to breathe the Aussie air. 6 days isn't enough time to say goodbye to everything I've come to know and have grown to love. 6 days isn't even a week. 6 days is barely enough time to write an essay for that english class I hardly ever attend, 6 days isn't even enough time to go on a holiday, let along pack up your belongings and leave your life behind. 6 days just isn't enough. It's not longer frustrating, or annoying, I don't whish the wait was over and I most certaintly don't want to leave. Right now it's just scary and sad. Heart wrenching if you will. I have a limited amount of time to gather my things, say goodbye to everyone that I love and come to terms with the fact that I won't be back for a while. I'm terrified, are you?

I Bid You Good Day (Mate)

Two years ago I signed up for a Student Exchange, expecting to have the time of my life. I dreaded having to make a new life in a foreign country. Learning to talk the talk and walk the walk was going to be terrifying but at the same time, the most amazing thing I’d ever do. The next year of my life was going to change me in ways I wouldn’t even be able to explain. I would make friends from all over the world who I would never forget. The experience would broaden my horizons and open my mind to a million possibilities. Learning about another culture and experiencing another ‘language’ would open doors to places I had never imagined and I would love every minute of it. Or that’s what they said. Rotary Youth Exchange was going to be the life changing, challenging experience I had been looking for.

Little did I know I’d be living in a town of 5,000 people in country Australia. A place called Naracoote, South Australia, a minimum four hours drive to the nearest capital city and one hour from the beach. What happened to Australia having a ‘beach culture’? I was excited nevertheless, I was about to spend a year living in Australia.

Australia, I loved the way that word rolled off my tongue. Going to the land down under had been a dream of mine since I was a mere 8 years old. For more than half my life I’d wanted to come. And now it was finally happening. Who knew that at the age of 16 I’d be fulfilling one of my life dreams? Regardless of the fact that I would be living in the middle of nowhere, in a town with a description that read “Naracoorte is nothing special and is best used as an overnight stop along the way” in my guide book, I was over the moon with excitement. Even when I was told that I would be living ‘out of town’ in a place called Kybybolite (also know as ‘two shacks and a footy oval’), my spirits were not weakened.

When the day finally arrived for me to go to the airport and say goodbye to everything that I knew to be familiar, my family, my friends, my hometown and my old life, I made sure I was at the airport two hours before my flight left. Now, Durango Airport is one of those places where you have to walk out onto the tarmac to board the plane. I couldn’t even check in till half an hour before the flight was scheduled to leave . . . so I spent those two hours sitting in the lobby with my family, incredibly stressed and worried about the journey ahead of me, but SO excited. When the time came to finally board the plane, there were hugs and mumbled goodbyes, a few tears, and then, it happened. I was through security and on my way. The adventure of a lifetime had begun.

After about 48 hours of travel, lost luggage and a non existent flight, I was in Australia. The land down under, a place where red soil, the phrase “G’day mate” and kangaroos were easily found. I had just arrived on the other side of the world but all I wanted was a bed to lie down on. I was far too delirious to process where I was or what I was about to experience. Before I knew it, three months flew by. I’d been homesick and happy at the same time. Incredibly lonely yet surrounded by people who took interest in me and my foreign-ness right away. I’d already been to Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne. I’d even had an invite to go to Tasmania later in the year. A lot had happened, and so far, aside from the traveling, none of it had been what they said. I couldn’t tell if I had changed, I hadn’t made any of those amazing friends and there was no way I was ever going to learn a language. English . . . and well, English, aren’t exactly different. I hadn’t seen any new doors open and my horizons had yet to be broadened. So Australia, was just Australia.

When another month and half had gone by, I realized that I needed to focus on the here and now. On Australia, I had spent so much of my time trying to keep those at home happy and informed that I had forgotten to experience my life here. I had forgotten the purpose of my exchange, I had forgotten that I was an Aussie in training, not just a tourist. It was then that I jumped full heartedly into my exchange. I began to feel like I had made those friends and I could start to see the changes. Australia was no longer just Australia. It was becoming a part of me.

I continued to travel the country, in place of going to school of course. By now I’d seen nearly half the country. Tasmania, tick. Central Australia, two ticks. East coast, tick. Country capital, tick. South Australia, numerous ticks. Six out of eight capital cities, tick. The Riverland, tick. Sydney, three ticks. Victoria, infinity ticks. Outback Queensland, tick. And I met all kinds of people along the way.

Youth Exchange really puts a meaning to that saying “it’s not the places you go, but the people you meet along the way”. I’ve met so many amazing people this year and shared so many amazing memories with each of them that it's hard to remember every detail, but each moment has filled me with joy and will forever be within my heart. My heart breaks a little more as each day passes and I come closer to boarding the plane that will deliver me back home. In less than two weeks time, I'll be sleeping in my own bed, eating from my own kitchen, looking at the faces of people that I haven’t seen in far too long and missing those that I’ve spent the last year loving whole heartedly. I’ll look back on this year and be able to appreciate all the changes I’ve gone through, the confidence I’ve gained from it and my new found awareness of the world.

I speak to you today with gratitude in my heart and tears in my eyes, praying that this is as hard for you as it is for me and thanking you for who I am, Ariel Mallett, 17 years old on the outside and close to 27 on the inside, someone who used to think that the world was a big place. I know realize how small it truly is.

There’s only 2 weeks till I go back to the place that I used to call home. Durango, Colorado USA, with a population of 20,000 it is a small town by US standards. I’ve spent the last year sleeping in other people’s beds, living in someone else’s house and calling strangers my family. Yet, I’ve never felt more at home. I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I’m more in love with the people around me and who I am than I could have ever imagined. I’ve made friends from all over the globe who I’ll never forget. I have 7 new sisters and 4 new brothers. I’ll leave this country with my horizons broadened and my mind open to a million possibilities. Australia is my home. Those strangers are my family and their houses, my homes I’m an honorary Aussie. I can officially talk the talk and walk the walk.



This is me and my Rotary Club on the night of my Farewell Speech, which is printed above. I didn't cry, but I came close.


This is me and Val, the President of the Rotary Club during the bulk of my exchange.