The Very Beginning

Well, to start I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Jennifer; and I am currently a Sophomore living in Oregon. I was recently accepted into the Rotary Youth Exchange Program! So, What exactly does this mean? Well, it means that for my whole Junior year of High School I will be living in a Foreign Country with host families and attending a local high school school as an exchange student!

I thought that for my first post I would explain exactly what the Rotary Organization is. Rotary is a non-profit International Organization. The main objective of Rotary is service in the community, as well as around the world. Their Long and Short term exchange programs are only a small portion of what Rotary does. Its a really cool organization!

I decided to start this blog off early BEFORE all the craziness of finding my host country, my future host families, and the whole new adventure of being an exchange student. My reason for starting so early is because I want to record my entire experience: the process of BECOMING an exchange student, to BEING an exchange student, all the way until the very end of my journey.

To be honest, Ive ALWAYS had a plan that I was going to become an exchange student since Middle School! Crazy, I know! Ive always loved the idea of traveling. It was the plan in my mind to apply for this exchange, all up until a week before the application was due for Rotary! I had second thoughts about the application and told my parents that I wasnt going to turn it in. Thinking back, Im not sure why I had second thoughts. I think I was just afraid that my dream of applying to become an exchange student was finally a reality. I do know however, that if I didnt turn that application in, I know I would have regreted it for years to come; because I would have never known what could have been.

To quickly sum up the first process:

I turned in the application, and was selected for an interview. I recieved a time-slot to show up at my local rotary club's Youth Exchange Officer's office for an interview. There were four members from the Rotary Club in the room I was interviewed in. (And to tell you the truth I was absolutly terrified!) After awhile, it wasnt scary and I wasnt afraid anymore after the first few questions. When the interview was done, they called my parents and I back into the room, and announced that they were making a decision for the Long-Term Exchange candidate for the club that night, and that I would receve a call in the days to come.

That Saturday, I recieved the call. I picked up the phone and the first thing I hear is, "Is your passport good for the next two years?" To tell you the truth, I didnt think I would be getting the exchange! I just stood in my bedroom, too stunned to reply. I probably sounded completly confused during the whole phone converstaion! I just wasnt sure what to think! I was SO excited and Mind Blown that I was the long-term exchange student chosen to go! I was completly frazzled!

Fast forward, here I am today! I am now an outbound exchange student! The next process is an at-home interview with my district, making me one step closer to finding out my Host Country, and meeting the rest of the Outbound students in the district.

So for now I guess, I get to enjoy this unknown rollercoaster I got myself into!