When one door closes, the other opens...

Hello, again! I'm back, after a very small amount of time... I won't be posting this often, however, so keep that in mind. I received an email back from my Rotary District's YEO, who told me that the rules of Switzerland stated that anyone who has already graduated from high school can not go there on exchange. Switzerland was my first choice, so I'm trying to get past that. I just need to find another country to completely fall in love with, with the beauty, the mountains, the snow, the transportation, the kind people, and the quality of Rotary clubs there. I know I'll find one, but I've just got to start looking again. It is kind of disheartening though, because I am graduating early just so I am able to go on an exchange, so I feel like Switzerland should let up a bit on this rule in this case, seeing as most people who have gone to Switzerland didn't have that rule in place anyways.

 However, not all bad news came out of the email. My YEO has invited my family and I to attend a meeting she is hosting at her Rotary club! It's on August 15 and the new rebound (past outbound) from Spain will be presenting her experiences. I'm excited, too, because the new inbounds will probably be there as well, and I'll finally get to meet them! I'll also finally get to meet the YEO, who I've been emailing since last October in 2011. I'll also get to meet a few of the other people who deal with exchange in my district, and I'm so super excited to meet them and have them meet me as well.

So, as you can see, I've got a lot to look forward to in the exchange world. I had a chat earlier with my dad who voiced his concerns about exchange. He said he was worried about the money (that my job wouldn't be able to cover all of it) and the fact about the time after exchange; what I'm planning to do. I told him my plan, and me being me, it's not exactly a solid career. I like theatre and music and culture and language and writing. I just wish I could be a traveling Disney princess who journals about her adventures. That would be my dream job! Well, as long as that career doesn't exist (yet...) I'll be going with theatre, hopefully at UCF, as it's right by Walt Disney World! Now, I just need to make a financial plan of how I'm going to raise the $4500 to go on exchange, so this is where I leave you.

But, last but not least, this quote from my YEO really made me smile and gave me a lot of hope, so I thought I'd post it here:

"You are typical of the students who are most successful in their exchanges, because of your desire and persistence in pursuing your dreams."

Introductions and the Past

Hello there! My name is Jessica Walters and I am 16 years-old and living in sunny Tampa, Florida. I attend a high school and will be a graduating-early senior in the Class of 2013. I decided to make this blog to write about my (hopeful) future as an exchange student living abroad for a year. I write "hopeful" for several reasons.

1.) I'm not yet an outbound exchange student, as I haven't applied or been accepted into the program.
2.) My parents haven't even said "yes" yet.
3.) I'm hoping to be a Rotary 2013-2014 Outbound.

Now, some of you may be asking? Well, where do you want to go? Or why the heck are you writing this blog when you haven't even applied to the program yet?

Well, my dream country is the beautiful Switzerland. However, I'd love to go to France, Belgium, Germany, or Austria, too! It all depends on how many spots are open and if I'm able to fill one of those spots.

The reason I started this blog now, only on July 24, 2012, was because I really wanted to blog on the ENTIRE process of being an exchange student. I wanted people to be able to read things from me filling out applications, me hopefully being accepted, getting a country, and of course the adventure of a lifetime that is going on exchange. There is a chance of course that I am not accepted, or that even my parents will not agree to letting me apply, but I write this from a point in time where the "if's" aren't exactly questions, but wishes that I beg to come true.

I also plan to create some Vlogs that I will post, documenting exchange things as well.

Now for a little story from the past...

Ever since early October when I actually began looking into exchanging, I haven’t been able to get my mind off of it. Everything I do now seems to be focused on what I’ll put on my application, what I’d be bringing with me, and things like that. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not like it’s the ONLY thing I’m thinking about, but when it’s not the top priority at the moment, it’s always in the back of my head. 

A little info about trying to submit last year:

In early October 2011 I began to research exchange. Constantly. I’d be in Drama class or Math class looking up things on student exchange and becoming mesmerized by how much I seemed to want this. I asked my friend Sarah about it, and we came to the conclusion that it would be great fun if we were to travel together, live in the same host family home, attend the same school, and of course, exchange in England. Her mother was all for it, but her father was a different story. After a week, it was just back to me again, trying to exchange in a foreign country. 

After some more research, I came across a program called “Rotary Youth Exchange”. I realized then that that was the program I had to go with. After completely stalking the RYE Florida website, reading pretty much EVERY blog of the Outbound students of last year, I knew I couldn’t wait to have my own Rotary blazer and my own blog on the website.

About half-way through October, I presented the idea to my dad. Without giving it a second thought, he shot down the idea and started saying how I didn't care about anyone but myself. I asked him if he was open to the idea, and he said, “I’m open to anything,” so I decided to wait it out. Every so often, I’d throw out a fact about the Rotary program or exchange in general to him in the car, and he wouldn’t say anything, usually, but sometimes he’d ask a question. Other times, like may others I've told about exchange to, commented on how expensive it’s going to be. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not like that at all. 

Rotary Fun Fact:

Because it’s an all-volunteer program, the program costs are much reduced, and in contrast to other programs around the country and world, it seems the only thing you have to pay for is the expected, such as: Visa, Passport, Insurance, Clothes, etc. You don’t, however, need to pay for food or housing, as that is what your host family provides.

Now, skip forward about a week, and my dad says he’ll consider and think about it. Skip forward another week, and he puts down the idea all-together because he has “talked to some people.” AKA, people at his work who probably don’t know what they’re talking about in the exchange student field.

As this whole process had been going on, I’d been filling about my extensive application, complete with transcript, photo, and essay. The only things missing, however, were my medical and dental forms and my local Rotary club’s consent. 

After being pretty much depressed the entire next week, I still kept bringing it up, in the hopes he’d change his mind in time. Didn’t happen. But what did happen was this: “I’ll consider it for your senior year.” At first, I didn’t want to go my senior year, and thought it was all over if I didn’t go my junior year. But then I started thinking about it. I’ll graduate early (not hard, seeing as I’ve got most of my credits already), and I’ll just go my “gap year” (between high school and college) but it really being like my senior year. Of course thoughts of, “How am I going to audition for college?” came into my mind, but I decided to wait that out and consult my Rotarians and some colleges about how I should go about this.

Anyways, as I wait for September 1st when applications will be out, I'll keep researching, reading blogs, watching Vlogs, and throwing out facts about exchange to my dad, who will hopefully come realize that this isn't something I want to do, it's something I've got to do.