District 5100 Conference 2013

This past weekend we had the Rotary District 5100 Conference. All of us Outbounds and Inbounds arrived at the University of Portland campus, and we were all assigned to dorm rooms. My roommate was an Outbound student to Mexico, and I seriously love her to death! We had so much fun together :)

After we were assigned to rooms, we had a bit of free time; and since I brought my guitar for the talent show, my friend and I decided to practice the song we were playing together. We were both playing the guitar together for the talent show, and so we decided to practice playing it together.

After everyone arrived, we all were lined up and counted off into seven different groups for the speech contest. (We had to prepare a 5 minute speech with the theme, "Peace Through Service".) We all were assigned to different classrooms with our groups, where we were given grading sheets for our speeches, and we had to give them to the judges to evaluate our speeches. I went second; and I was so nervous that I forgot my memorized speech and had to read the whole thing...I was pretty disappointed with myself that I was too nervous to give a speech after all of the practicing I did.

The next day, all of the inbound and outbound students who were in the talent show were to report to an auditorium to audition for the talent show. My friend, Audrey (an outbound student to Peru) and I were playing "93 Million Miles" on guitar while a few other girls sang the song and a Thai exchange student played the violin. And at the last minute, Audrey and I decided to sing the Cup Song with a few other girls to audition. Which was surprising because Ive NEVER played guitar in front of anyone before, and the only time I ever sing is in the shower! BUT- I realized that if I didnt do it now, then I never would.

We practiced all day (literally), and that night Audrey and I played guitar in the dorm elevator while the girls we were playing with sang.

Playing in the elevator!

 

It was so funny to see people's faces as they got on the elevator! :D

 

 

That night was super fun, because everyone began to trade pins. Inbounds had their bags of pins, and we would just walk up to people and trade. It was like Halloween but with memories! :)

The next day, we all had to dress nice (Ties, Dresses, and blazers) for the Official talent show and Rotary Conference. It was a looonnnggg day. We ran through the talent show over and over and over again. BUT, it was great because it was our way to give back to Rotary!

Sitting around waiting to practice our acts for the talent show.

 

My outbound friends: Finland, and Peru.

 

 

 

It was a really long day; and the official show didnt start until 7pm. We practiced for a final time in the hotel's ballroom where the event was being held, and afterward we had dinner with the 300 or 400 Rotarians who came. We were all scattered all over the room, and it was kind of awkward at first, but then a Rebound sat next to me, and it was amazing how quickly the ice was broken between everyone. I hope that when Im a rebound that ill be that outgoing...

We then had our flag ceremony (Where we said where we were going and which Rotary club was either Hosting or Sponsoring us); and then after we went straight into the show. Everyone who was in the talent show sat off to the side of the room in three rows of chairs, and after every act; we all stood and cheered and clapped; it was great! It was awesome to see everyone preform! :D

The final act was the song I played on guitar, "93 Million Miles". At the end; all of the inbound and outbound exchange students joined us and we all sang it together. It was pretty embarrassing though, because Audrey and I accidentally ended a verse early and randomly starting belting out the chorus! ...At least it will be a good memory when we watch the videos of it.

It really meant a lot to me to stop playing my guitar and to look behind me at all of the kids who have become part of my International Family. Its hard for me to explain to everyone how much the Inbounds and Outbounds mean to me. And to look behind me at all of these kids, even for a short moment; it was amazing to all be together.

After the talent show, the Finnish and Russian inbounds and outbounds took a picture with our Country Officer.

One of the Austrian Exchange Students Photobombed us...

 

 

The day after the talent show, we went to a zip-lining place. (However I forgot a jacket, and it was rainy and freezing, and so I decided not to do it...) Which honestly, I regret not doing it; but it was SO COLD and WET! I took pictures though at least!

 

That day was pretty long, and there isnt much to tell...However, on Sunday we packed up all of our stuff and brought it down to the commons of the dorms while we waited for our parents. It was a long morning, and it was awkward because we were talking to everyone we could, wondering if it was the last time we were going to see each other. (Which im hoping it wont be, because I didnt say goodbye because I didnt want it to be the last time I saw everyone.)

 

 

The Outbounds parents all arived for our last orientation, and it was fun to talk to the parents of a current exchange student in Finland. It made me so much more excited for Finland! The Outbounds also got their business cards, (I got into the box before they were supposed to be handed out because I was so excited!). The next few hours of the orientation were boring, because they had a travel agent come to talk about the travel agency we have to use for our tickets and visas.

 

The conference was a total blast, and it was defiantly the funnest Rotary trip of my year as an Outbound! We were a total family: we all knew each other, and teased each other and it was just so much fun! Its going to be hard to say goodbye to the inbounds and the outbounds for all of our exchanges, but it makes me so happy that I have gotten to know each of them so well throughout this year and throughout their exchanges.

 

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” 

- Winnie The Pooh