Just Be Yourself

Well this part of my blog i dedicate it to all my friends who were once before an exchange students...Miss all of you always!

Life is isn’t easy as what you think…So much is said about being an exchange student, but only when you experience and it makes sense. It is definitely not easy and whether I want it or not, I’ll end up changing and growing. Once my exchange is done I finally realize that I can handle way more than you could and would ever imagine. I need to appreciate things that I have because they might be gone sooner than I think. Life is not easy and true friendships are really forever.

The best part about being an exchange student is not about the parties or places I get to go. Not the independence and life experience, but the friendships. I’m not talking about the friends I made from my host country but about the other exchange student friends. For most of us, they were the very first "friends" I had in this new experience. I met them in orientation meetings or trips, etc. They were the first people I actually talk to without having the fear of speaking in a different language. No matter what, there’s a big difference between "host country friends" and "exchange student friends". Exchange students have a special bond despite language and cultural differences; we will understand one another because we experience similar situations.

The hardest part of facing the end of my exchange year is to accept the fact that it’s going to take a while until I have the chance to see my exchange friends again. Because once I leave my host country, deep down inside, I know that sooner or later I’ll be back, but when am I going to have enough money and time to travel the world again? Some of us became friends because we were placed in the same schools, lived in the town nearby each other and others we met along the year, during trips and meetings. First day nobody knows each other, everyone is shy... By the end of the trip everybody knows everybody and says good bye in the last day and as sad as when I left my friends and family in my home countries...How many lifetime friendships and romances started with. "How can I say this in your language?" It’s hard to believe that so much can start from such a simple sentence! Does this story sound familiar to you? Just wait, it gets worse... The very first trip, when it is time to leave is not so terrible because I have the whole year ahead of me, so the chances of meeting everyone again are very big. Time goes by and your year is slowly getting to an end and I will say probably it will be the very last time I’ll see most of my exchange friends for "God-knows-how-many-years"...This feeling is just horrible!!! It’s when you wish things would never end. Than I would wish I could turn back time and do everything again, and maybe do what I want but never had the guts to, like kissing that girl/boy or spending more time with A, B and C...

There I go, saying good bye, fighting the tears and making promises to people that I could never imagine I would meet in my life again. Unfortunately, things don’t always work as I want and not that everything is possible. Once my year is done, it is when I realize who I will always miss the most, my exchange friends spread all over the world. One day I’m going to be at a Geography or history class and as some countries are mentioned, I’ll think about my friends that are halfway around the world away from me, and I’ll have to fight the tears again. Their occasional letters, phone calls and emails are going to be of unbelievable value and will bring joy to my day.

Most of us never thank these friends and never said how much they mean to us. So here it is 'THANK YOU, THANK YOU, and THANK YOU! You are all wonderful, special and unique, and I’ve been made a better person just by knowing you. You’ve made my year unforgettable. And I don’t think I’ll ever forget the time we spent together! Hopefully we will meet again someday! Doesn't matter how many miles keep us apart. I’ll always be here for you. The end of our exchange year doesn’t mean the end of friendships. As I said before "true friendships are forever!” As we go on, we remember all the times we had together. And as our lives change, come whatever. We will still be friends forever".