Tuesday, November 2, 2010

I guess I should do an "intro" post before I actually go on exchange. And I'd rather my blog not be completely empty, so here goes nothing!

My name is Olivia and I'm 15 years old. I'll be going (hopefully) to Belgium, France, or Switzerland with AFS for my junior year of high school. I'm originally from Massachusetts, which is where I've lived my whole life.

I'm not really sure what I should talk about, since I have no idea who is reading this. You could be my mom, a friend, someone from school, a fellow exchanger, or a complete stranger. And that makes it a little harder!

I guess I should answer the generic questions. Why do I want to go on exchange? Won't I be homesick? How can I go somewhere where I don't know the language? Well, I want to do an exchange for a million and one reasons: to experience a new culture, learn a new language, explore the world, live life in a completely different way, meet new people, learn something about myself, challenge myself, and just do something different. I'm not content with spending all 4 years of high school just floating by! Will I get homesick? Yeah, sometimes. But that's natural! I'm going to come back my senior year, so it's not like I'll never be home again. And not knowing the language is half the point of exchange for me. Being immersed in French (yes, they speak French in the southern part of Belgium, not "Belgianese"!) is one of the best ways to learn it. It'll be frustrating, but I hope it will be worth it in the end.

As of right now, nothing is official. I'm can't technically say I'm going away next year, because nothing is set in stone. But hopefully it will go smoothly!

If you read this, it would be really cool if you'd comment and tell me who you are. :) I'd love to know who's reading this, whether I know you or not!

Soooo, I have an english essay to write. Maybe I'll add to this later!