You have given me wings to explore new horizons, and home where my roots will always be.

Monday, June 6, 2011

The end!


This may have to be my last blog entry since I only have three more weeks in Germany, and they all seem to be packed full of seeing the things I haven't yet, and saying good bye to everyone. So I hope you have enjoyed reading this over the year, and enjoy this last entry!
This past month has been a complete whirl wind; with Euro-Tour, our farewell orientation, and getting ready for my mom to come. I'd to put an update about Euro-Tour Euro-tour but right now I am having problems uploading pictures, and it just isn't the same explaining it without the photos. So sadly I will have to wait until I am home to show everyone how amazing that trip was. I can say this though; it was the highlight of this whole year for me. It brought all the exchange students even closer, showed us so many different places, and just allowed us to relax and have fun for almost three weeks.
The weekend after Euro-tour was our farewell orientation, and the district conference. This was a weekend filled with tears, and laughter. I believe this was a harder goodbye then when I left everyone back in Canada, since I don't know for sure if or when I will see some of these people again. They say you have three different families while you are a Rotary exchange student, but for me I found four. I had my three host families who I moved between, but there was a constant family always there for me, the other exchange students. This year would not have been what it was without all the people I got to meet, and become close to.
I was told many times before leaving that Rotary is a cultural exchange, and I assumed it just meant sharing my culture with the Germans, and learning their culture. Little did I know I would get to learn the culture of over 15 other countries. Although as we say we all come from different places, however in Germany we are one land, and one family.
This was the best year of my life, it was hard at times, but it has made me a better person for those hardships. I want to thank everyone who helped me have this opportunity; my two clubs, the families who invited me into their homes, and especially my own family back home. When I return home I hope to have the opportunity to promote the Rotary Exchange because I feel it is something that more people should have the opportunity to experience.