Hej, commence outbound orientation day three!
The third day of outbound orientation was honestly one of
the best and most memorable days of my life. I think I will probably always
remember it solely for the people who were involved in it.
The day started with breakfast (which I did not attend
because however much food is served, there will never be enough to get me out of
bed). I got down to the room that orientation was held in at 8:00 because that’s
when the third day started. (Technically though, it was only the second day of
orientation, the third day I was in Canada. That’s why it’s day three on my
blog). We had our first morning lectures on more of the things that we will
need to expect and remember on our exchange, and a lot of what to do about
travel before and on our exchange. There was a little bit said on communication
also.
We broke for lunch at around 12:00 at which point I wandered
around the room we were in and “mingled” with more of the exchange students I had talked to the night before. We talked about exchange for a little bit until
we were called back for more orientation type activities, and then later had a
coffee break before “graduation.”
At graduation we were presented with our “regalia” is what
is was called with our pins that will go on our blue blazer, with a white t-shirt
representing rotary youth exchange, our business cards, and a little bit more.
We also had to introduce ourselves in our language which was really awesome to
hear people presenting themselves in languages from all around the world.
“Hej, jeg hedder Grace, jeg er en Rotary udveksling student fra
America og jeg vil vaere hosted I Danmark.” Again, quite possible that there are
some grammatical errors, however that is what I presented myself as in Danish!
Outbound orientation ended at about 3:30, and since our
Rotary district, district 5020, is an international district meaning there is students
from both U.S and Canada, some of had to part and say our goodbyes, for we
lives in different countries. The rest of the U.S students walked to the ferry
terminal and all waited together for the ferry to leave. We stood around in a
circle and all talked about exchange…everything. Everything related to exchange
was said, and it was really truly awesome to be a part of this adventurous group
of students who are all flying across the world in less than 6 months. It’s
kind of fun to think about, how we just looked like regular high school
sophomores and juniors in this large circle taking up space in a ferry
terminal, however really, we were all together a group of teenagers whose
thoughts stretch as large as the world itself, and who are about to pack up
everything we know and leave it behind for a year.
Once the ferry boarded we all found each other again, and
all sat together on the ferry where we exchanged our business cards with our
host countries and phone numbers on it, and ate ice-cream while once again
talking. Once the rebound exchange students found us, we went up to the very
top deck of the ferry and took a couple crazy group pictures in the pouring
down rain which was a lot
more fun than it sounds. We went back downstairs again after that, and later
found ourselves back on the top deck in the covered area.
Why? Because we were going to “dance like exchange students.”
And my gosh, that was probably one of the most crazy fun things…ever. One of
the rebound students had a phone that hooked up to a portable stereo, and so we
started playing music from that. American music? Of course not. We played Brazilian
music, and we played Camaro amerelo over
and over and over again. All of the rebound students were dancing with
things they all picked up from exchange in their past years, and all of the
outbound students just kind of the did there own thing. I ended making my way
to the middle of the cramped circle under the cramped covered space and there again,
I was just doing my own thing. When we got of the ferry though, it was said
that I apparently “danced like Austin Powers, and that he wants his 70’s mojo
back.” Haha!
We were on the top of deck…dancing like Austin Powers…until
the boat finally docked, and when it did, it was one of the most shocking things ever. Here we were, a group of exchange students who had said
maybe two words or less to each other Friday afternoon, and by Sunday afternoon were a family
with a bond so unique it takes an actual exchange student themselves to
understand it. We stood around all hugging each other and wishing each other
good luck on our exchanges before we head off to unload the ferry, and it occurred
to me, “what do you mean goodbye, good luck on your exchange. We just
officially met each other Friday and now were saying goodbye? We won’t see each
other again until rebound weekend AFTER
our exchange? What?”
I still think that now, almost a week after outbound
orientation and I still don’t get how we won’t be in the district group again
until after our exchange year. The people I met this past weekend are absolutely
more than just friends; they are by far an exchange family that NOBODY how hard
they try will ever understand us better than ourselves. Of course though when I
say that, I’m not trying to put my school friends down that I have here, you
guys rock too :-P
And an update on the host family and host city: I still don’t
know quite yet who they are and I found out that even though my Danish Rotary
club has my guarantee forms, they have to fill out all the information on it,
and then mail it back to United States and my sponsor Rotary Club. And when I say
mail, I mean mail, not email. So depending on how they mail it here and when it
gets here, I guess either way, in perspective
I will have a host family and host city no matter how long I wait to find out,
and it will be an amazing moment whether I find out in two days or two weeks or
two months. Although I don’t think it’s going to take two months to find out.
Every time I write a blog post, or go to a Rotary event, or
hang out with exchange students, I remember again all the reasons why I wanted
to be a foreign exchange student and it never fails to excite me even more.
Vi ses!
