Nissa Parker - Ciao!

Hi everyone!

My name is Nissa Parker and I am headed off to Cremona, Italy for the 2013-2014 Rotary Youth Exchange. I swear, if Disney had to make a set for the perfect little Italian town, they would build a copy of Cremona. Cremona is also the violin capital of the world, being the home of the famous families Guarneri, Amati, and Stradivari. I am so excited because I'm a cellist, and guess what? My first host father is a violin maker! He's arranging a cello for me so that I can play while I'm there, thank goodness!

I have been working hard on my Italian, but in all reality, I know next to nothing! I have studied Spanish my whole life and now am practically fluent, so it feels weird to be going back to the basics of learning a language like greetings, counting, and easy conjugation. However, Italian and Spanish are very similar so I'm hoping that will help me once I'm in country. I have been chatting with exchange students around the world as well as Rebounds from Steamboat. The most common pieces of advice I've gotten are 1. Learn the language, and 2. Be open to everything. So with that in mind, I've been working hard on the first and mentally preparing myself for the second.

I am so grateful for this opportunity. Thanks so much to the Steamboat Springs Rotary Club and District 5440, as well as to my loving and supportive parents. I am scheduled to leave September 1 and the date is creeping up so fast. I'm excited for the adventure, but nervous about the unknown! Sometimes I think to myself, how was I so crazy to suddenly decide that I wanted to live in a country (where I don't speak the language) without my family for AN ENTIRE YEAR?!?! The enormity of the whole thing is finally dawning on me. This is something that will change who I am and how I think forever. It's even bigger than that, though. Exchanging is about making connections among countries to spread peace and goodwill throughout the world. In Cremona I will have to strip myself of my American ideals and habits to integrate into a community that is completely foreign to me. Not only will I be exposed to Italian world views, but also those of places like Argentina, Sweden, Australia, and Thailand as I connect with the other exchange students in District 2050 Lombardy. I have to do what I can to show Steamboat, Colorado, and the U.S. in the best light possible while simultaneously assimilating myself into a different culture. It will be challenging, but so worth it. The exchange isn't about me, though. It's about ambassadorship, world citizenship, and mutual respect and understanding among cultures, and that is what I've made my goal for the coming year.

Peace and Love,
Nissa