I have wanted to be an exchange student for as long as I can remember!!!! I can't believe that I am half way there!!!
I spent all summer working on my application and getting all of the various forms I needed filled out and organized. It took a longtime, but it was completely worth it! It was difficult to have to pick my top 3 country wishes. I didn't really care where I got sent, as long as I was placed with a family and I got to go to a different school and live and learn in a totally different place for a year. In the end I narrowed it down to mostly Central American countries and India. Kind of a random combination, but it made sense to me!
I have been taking Spanish in school and I really like it, so I thought that it would be really cool to live in it for a year. I would learn it really well, which would help in school and I would also get to learn about another culture and get to have fun doing it, so it would be a win-win situation. My other top choice was India, which is a little off the beaten track, when compared with a popular destination choice like, say, Costa Rico.
I have been been intrigued by India for almost as long as I have been interested in AFS. It all started with my first Bollywood movie. Now, I know that the Bollywood portrayal is not always exactly a factual or a true representation of India, but it does showcase its beautiful and diverse culture quite nicely. When I was a little older, I researched India a little and kept tabs on it when it was involved in World news. My little sister also did a project on Indian culture for school a few years back, so I learned a little more about it then. I also am interested in India because it is a "newer" Democracy and it has so much potential yet to become a powerful democratic world power. It also is a "non Christian" country and I would really like to learn about the religions that influence its culture a politics.
In summery, it took a long time and a lot of thought for me to finally choose India as my top preference for my AFS year abroad. My application will get sent to AFS India in January and I can't wait until then! I wasn't to go so badly, but I can't help thinking about what I would do if, for some reason, my application were not to be accepted to AFS India, or if I was not placed with a family. I don't know what I would do, so I try not to think about it.
On a more cheery note, my family really have supported me and encouraged me during this whole process. My mom was an exchange student to Australia in the late 70's and she was the first one to tell me about AFS and her experience. She had a really great year and is really optimistic about my AFS experience. My Grandparents (on my mom's side) were also really involved in AFS at their school (they were both public school teachers), and hosted twice while my mother and her siblings were in school. They hosted two girls, one from Finland and one from Israel. AFS has created a network of inter-cultural friends across the wold and my family is lucky enough to be part of it.
Speaking of exchange students, I have neglected to mention that I have an exchange sister this year. She is from Switzerland and has been with us for about two months so far. She is older then me, so I had to make the adjustment to being the middle child, instead of the oldest. She fits into our family so well, that I can't remember how it felt to have only one sister. I am so lucky to have her as a sister and I think that this experience could help me adjust even better when I have my own Host family, because I will have know a little of what I should expect and of how my family would feel. I will do my best to keep this updated whenever I have something to write about. Until then, thanks for reading!
~Clara
