Dear members of the community,
My
name is Hope Nelson and I will be spending my junior year abroad in the little
town of Barbezieux, France. Barbezieux is a classic french town with rolling
hills, little farms, and even has a small castle. It is near Bordeaux and
Angouleme. I'm excited to be in a place
where there are so many old french customs that I can bring back and share with
you. I am most looking forward to
learning how to cook classic french cuisine and immersing myself in the
language. I not only intend to embrace a new culture in France but I also would
like to be an ambassador between Steamboat and Barbezieux and share customs
between the two.
I am
finding as much information on exchanges so I can better acclimate myself in
the new environment when I arrive . I also am reading exchange books that
depict other experiences from past students point of view, these also can give
me general ideas of how I can expect myself to react emotionally, and how to maintain an open mind
and perspective during my exchange. An example of some of these are; the cycle
of being homesick, the change in every day activities that I wouldn't otherwise
consider,and how core values between cultures may be the same but how they are
interpreted or expressed may be different.
The
Rotary district orientation also really helped prepare me for what types of
challenges, and triumphs I would be facing in France. They also reminded me
that my exchange is a part of a bigger picture. During the months after being
accepted into the exchange program, it was all about me; will I do this, will I
do that, and those questions are still there, but now I better understand that
the goal of this program is to build international goodwill and understanding.
That is the best part of this program, because I 'm not just going overto
another country to enjoy myself, I am going over to learn and to share my own
knowledge so that we, the youth of the world, can have a more peaceful and
understanding planet. We make the future. When life is difficult next year I
know I have a bigger purpose than my own personal needs or wants, and that
gives me the tools to have a wonderful, rewarding exchange.
Thank
you to Rotary for this exceptional opportunity and thank you ,the members of
the community, for letting me represent you and share with the world how
wonderful Steamboat is.
Hope Nelson
