In the past week or so I have had some pretty big realizations about my exchange and my life. The first of which is why a yearlong exchange is so significant and life changing. Throughout most of the months of winter, my life here had become extremely... normal. School, friends, "family", even the language had become quite normal. I began to wonder if a year was just too long. Would it have been better if I had stopped at 6 months? If I'm doing normal, everyday things here, what is the point of staying for so long? In the last week or so however, those feelings that ex-exchange students always seem to emanate have started to come inside of me (much more than I knew was possible! I thought that I had already experienced it).
While I have always been interested in travel and untraditional education, all of a sudden all I can think about are the trips and jobs that I would love to do. Even one month ago I was feeling a bit caged in by the idea of having to enter into the college frenzy upon my return- choosing the school that would be my life until age 22. And now- well, I definitely want to go to college, get a degree (or two!) but all of a sudden the numerous possibilities of the higher education world are opening up to me. I'm realizing that school doesn't have to mean debt and next to nothing travel.
I have heard since the beginning of my exchange that the last three months of your are both the best, and the months in which you feel the change that has occurred the most (apart from returning home of course!). Both of these statements are true. New experiences change you. Even a vacation can change you. But when you put these two together for a year as a teenager? There's no telling how many fantastic revelations and ideas may enter the mind. I am definitely not the only student who is feeling this either... talking to other exchange students is something the brought this realization even more. Kids that were sad and stricken with homesickness in September are now talking about their future travel and volunteer plans. Kids that couldn't stop talking about their homes and friends back home six months ago are now panicking at the thought of leaving their new friends- and excited about making new ones back home. This inspires me. I think that this world would be a very different place if every person had been an exchange student.
While I have always been interested in travel and untraditional education, all of a sudden all I can think about are the trips and jobs that I would love to do. Even one month ago I was feeling a bit caged in by the idea of having to enter into the college frenzy upon my return- choosing the school that would be my life until age 22. And now- well, I definitely want to go to college, get a degree (or two!) but all of a sudden the numerous possibilities of the higher education world are opening up to me. I'm realizing that school doesn't have to mean debt and next to nothing travel.
I have heard since the beginning of my exchange that the last three months of your are both the best, and the months in which you feel the change that has occurred the most (apart from returning home of course!). Both of these statements are true. New experiences change you. Even a vacation can change you. But when you put these two together for a year as a teenager? There's no telling how many fantastic revelations and ideas may enter the mind. I am definitely not the only student who is feeling this either... talking to other exchange students is something the brought this realization even more. Kids that were sad and stricken with homesickness in September are now talking about their future travel and volunteer plans. Kids that couldn't stop talking about their homes and friends back home six months ago are now panicking at the thought of leaving their new friends- and excited about making new ones back home. This inspires me. I think that this world would be a very different place if every person had been an exchange student.