Beach Parties and Host District news!

I would normally go in chronological order when writing a journal, but for this special edition, we're going to go a little backwards. I say this because, as of today, I will officially be hosted by Rotary District 1630 in Belgium! I got the email from Mrs. Tracy Carroll today during Photography class! Ella and I will be located here for our year, though where exactly, we don't know. All we do know is that we definitely won't be speaking Dutch, but that we could be speaking German and that we might actually be in Luxembourg. Honestly, I'm just hoping for a French Belgian experience.

Here's a map of Belgium (and Luxembourg) with 1630 in the darker grey:

So, we could be placed in a bunch of places, though since we wont be going to the Dutch, it's pretty much just Liege and down. I absolutely cannot wait to find out my host city and I'll update (with pictures of course!) as soon as I find out!

Now, step back about a little over a week to Sunday, January 20, 2013. I got to attend District 6950's beach get-together party inbound-meeting-outbound boat-tour thing! In short, it was amazing! As some of you know, my sponsor district is 6890. But, I am so lonely in my district! I'm the only 2013/14 outbound. So, I emailed Mr. Lobel asking if I could attend the party as well and got a yes! 

I drove Lucas (Italy) to Clearwater, which is about an hour's drive away. I navigated the interstate for the first time without getting us killed, so *snaps* would be much appreciated. When we got there, we made name tags, small-talked with some inbounds and outbounds, ate food (I hadn't had Cheetos in forever and I ate so many, sorry...) and just kind of waited around. Once most people were there, some of us decided it would be a good idea to walk down to the beach which was just a little way's away. Turns out the gate was locked, so we just went back and sat by the pool while some of the other's went swimming. We then ate pizza, chatted more, sang Happy Birthday to two of the inbounds, ate cake, and then walked down to our cruise ship.

Okay, let me rephrase that. What it really was was a 3-story giant, loud, dance party, free water, freezing deck, wrapped in a blanket, old people drunk, exchange students and Doctor Who, slow moving, turning around, all around beautiful "Calyspo Queen". It was just great! And I mean that completely honestly. We all had so much fun getting to know each other more and sailing around Clearwater. It was such a great experience!

Now, I must leave you, because this is turning into a novel and I could go into so much more detail, but I wont put you through that, so here are some pictures!

Au Revoir!

-Jess

P.S. Wish me luck for my job interview at Steak n' Shake on Thursday!

The rocks and water behind the condo we were in.

A pirate ship at sail in the bay. (It's not an actual pirate ship, you just need to be from Tampa to understand.)

All of us on the top deck of the ship aboard the "Calyspo Queen"! Thank you 6950 for having me!

Orientation!

I've been putting off writing this just because since I got back from Orientation I've been a little more than busy with exams coming up next week. Anyways, Orientation was January 4-6 at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center in Leesburg, Florida. To any future Florida exchange students reading this, be prepared to keep thinking that you're almost there and end up still being 30 minutes away. It is way deep into Leesburg, but let me just tell you, it was so super incredibly worth it.

 My parents drove me and my friend Lucas (who's going to Italy!) to the camp (I'm going to call it camp because I had flashbacks of Girl Scouts like 24/7 there), and we signed in, got our name tags, schedules, and info for the weekend. My parents left and I went to my cabin. They were perfect... in there own special way. The beds were rusty, the floor was hard and cold and dirty, the showers were teeny tiny. But, honestly, they were so perfect. The people in my cabin are now my best friends. Like honestly. When you have to sleep in a room of people you don't know, but who have a common interest (in this case exchange of course), you really bond super quickly. In order of beds: Kate, Becca, Ella, Cheyenne, Naomi, Alexis, Savannah, and Laurel. Western Europe girls, baby!

The food was great. I don't care what anyone says, the food was great and the servers were sooo nice! The only thing that was sketchy was the stuffing, but the hamburgers were to die for! The sessions were fun and informative. I learned SO much that weekend! We had a language session where we had to say our 10 phrases in our host language in front of half of the outbounds, and some Rotex (previous exchange students). It wasn't too bad, but now I know how much work I've got to do to be ready for Belgium in August.

A lot of wonderful, beautiful things happened that weekend, including bonding over our hunger (the cafe in the Fellowship Hall was closed for the first night), meeting people that I actually spoke to and wasn't awkward around, learning so many things that I honestly hadn't even thought about... It was just such a great weekend and I am waiting ever so patiently (yeah right, I'm going nuts) for the next Orientation in June. I made so many friends with outbounds, Rotex, and Rotarians alike. I cannot wait until I see some of them again, which will hopefully be very soon!

Now time for pictures!
Au revoir!
-Jess

On the way to Lake Yale!

The Italy crew!

Lucas looking ever-so dapper with his Italian flag!

The cutest cafe ever!

France, Belgium, Italy, and Germany!

Our cabin! 2A, baby!

This picture honestly doesn't do this place justice, the lake in the morning was breath-taking.

The stage and flags on the last day.

Belgium, Honey Boo!

Oh, so chic in la Belgique! Belgium girls!