Tuesday, June 20, 2006
To all exchange students!!! (since i'm lazy to email it around)
WE ARE EXCHANGE STUDENTS So much is said about being an exchange student, but only when you experience it. Things make sense. It is definitely not easy and whether you want it or not, you'll end up changing and growing. Once your exchange is done YOU finally realize that you can handle way more than you could and would ever imagine. You need to appreciate things you have because they might be gone sooner than you think. Life is not easy. True friendships are really forever.The best part about being an exchange student is not
about the parties or places you get to go. Not the
independence and life experience, but the
friendships. I'm not talking about the friends
you made from your host country but about the other
exchange-student friends. For most of us, they were
the very first "friends" we had in this new
experience. We met them in orientation meetings or trips, etc. They were the
first people we actually talk to without having the
fear of speaking in a different language. No matter
what, there's a big difference between "host
country friends" and "exchange student friends".
Exchange students have a special bond. Despite
language and cultural differences, you'll
understand one another because you experience similar situations.
The hardest part of facing the end of your exchange
year is to accept the fact that it's gonna
take a while until you have the chance to travel the
world to see your exchange friends again. Because
once you leave your host country, deep down inside,
you know that sooner or later you'll be back,
but when are you going to have enough money and time
to travel the world again???
Some of us became friends because we were placed in
the same schools, lived in the town nearby each
other. Others we met along the year, during trips
and meetings... The trips... first day nobody knows
each other, everyone is shy... By the end of the
trip everybody knows everybody and says good bye in
the last day is as sad as when we left our friends
and family in our home countries... How many
lifetime friendships and romances started with: "How
can I say this in your language?" It's hard to
believe that so much can start from such a simple
sentence!
Does this story sound familiar to you??? Just wait,
it gets worse... The very first trip, when it is
time to leave is not so terrible because you have
the whole year ahead of you, so the chances of
meeting everyone again are very big. Time goes by
and your year is slowly getting to an end. You have
your last trip... Probably it will be the very last
time you'll see most of your exchange friends
for "God-knows-how-many-years"... this feeling is
just horrible!!! It's when you wish things
would never end. When you wish you could turn back
time and do everything again, and maybe do what you
want but never had the guts to, like kissing that
girl/boy or spending more time with A, B and C...
And there you are, saying good-bye, fighting the
tears and making promises to people that you could
never imagine you would meet in your life...
Unfortunately, things don't always work as we
want and not that everything is possible... Once
your year is done, it is when you realize who you
will ALWAYS miss the most. Your exchange friends
spread all over the world. And one day you're
gonna be at a Geography or history class and as some
countries are mentioned, you'll think about
your friends that are half way around the world away
from you, and you'll have to fight the tears
again... Their occasional letters, phone calls and
emails are going to be of unbelievable value and
will bring joy to your bad day/week. And this is
what this email is about. Most of us never thanked
these friends? And never said how much they mean to
us.
So here it is 'THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU? You
are all wonderful, special and unique, and
I've been made a better person just by knowing
you. You've made my year unforgettable. And I
don't think I'll ever forget the time we
spent together! Hopefully we will meet again
someday! Doesn't matter how many miles keep us
apart. I'll always be here for you. The end of
our exchange year doesn't mean the end of
friendships. As said before ´true friendships are forever? "As we go on, we remember
all the times we had together. And as our lives
change, come whatever. We will still be "friends
forever".
susara kimchi-ed @ 2:09 PM | 
2 Comments:
That post was great! I'm going to Japan with Rotary next year as an exchange student and I came across your poem. It sounds great!
hey thanks! hope you enjoy you exchange year....
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