LIFE is amazing!

So me and posting i can tell is going to come to a once a month party that will happen on a lonely weekday night. But you know what? Im ok with that because i cant talk to everyone at one time can i? So since ive posted last a lot has gone on. I went to the province called Manabi. Its on the coast and offers cool places like protaviejo, Crista and Manta. We stayed on this really cool little hotel and got to participate in a parade in portaviejo, walk up a giant mountain in crista and ride on top of cool buses. Yes i said on top..... In nice dresses and suits, heels and our rotary jackets, all of us exchange students rode ontop of or in these cool cars with bands and we drove around portaviejo at night waving flags and screaming. It was sooo cool! We also got to swim in the ocean. and of course i got stung by a jelleyfish. My friend got somewhere between 2nd and 3rd degree burns from laying in the sun to long. For that i felt bad and spent all of our last night there taking care of her. I love her a bunch though. My French-Canadian Courtney :)
My Spanish is coming along quite well recently. Im very proud when i talk to teachers or friends and they give me the oh-crap-you-understand-most-of-what-i-say look. Sadly i wasn't able to give it to the doctor i saw today. Apparently i have the beginnings of a stomach ulcer. So my doctor put me on a regiment of like five different pills. Somehow my body has been feeling stressed while my mind hasn't  So my shoulders have gotten all tight and not allowed as much blood to my brain and my tummy has become super duper sensitive. For those your who don't know i recently made the decisions to go lactose free because i am lactose intolerant. Well my decision just got backed up by my doctor i must remain lactose free until i am 100% better.
I know that sounds like a major downer but in reality it isnt. Im on a series of pills and my life will go on as normal. Including Tae Kwon do, Piano, Soccer and school events. This weekend is sports day at my school.  Me and Hemili signed up to play on the soccer team (IM SUPER EXCITED!) its going to be crazy funnnn! I will let you know how it goes after this weekend. But chao for now!

I really need to post more often!

First off i apologize for not posting in so long! Its been an adventure to say the least. On the 18th of this month i will have been here two months. It already feels like a lifetime. Ive forgotten the routines of the US and replaced them with my strange new routines here. Like for starters on monday-friday i wake up at 6am (yes mom i actually wake up when my alarm goes off!) and get ready for school. I have a very attractive uniform i get to wear...... Knee high white socks, a navy pleated skirt that reaches my knees, on monday a blouse tie and blazer and the rest of the time a white polo red sweater and jacket. My favorite day is thursday because i have pe. I get to wear comfy clothes! blue sweatpants, a white red and blue shirt that says my schools name and a white jacket that is actually kinda cool!
There are a lot of differences between my school here and my high school at home. First off my school is k-12. Its weird to be going to school with my 7 year old brother. Here the teachers move, the students stay in class (with the exception of lab time in the science classes and PE). School starts at 710 and gets out at 110. I have two 20 minute breaks in the day and there are FOUR places to buy cheap-really-good-but-bad-for-you food. I think the biggest difference here than at home is that even though their are cliques, they dont determine anything. It isnt like there is a popular clique and then everyone else. People actually get along and are nice regardless of class, gender, age or appearance. It was quite refreshing to have friends on the first day of school. I have five super close girlfriends that adopted me on day one; Pame, Gabby, Maurlita, Cathy, and Vivi. They are so wonderful and make sure im never alone. The thing i have noticed about a lot of latins is that they take a while to warm up to you. i mean just last week my brother that is my age started to actually treat me like a sister. He would invite me out with him and his friends and even tickle me from behind (NOT FUNNY). My little brother is on his way to warming up to me. He no longer whines and gets upset when i walk in a room. He even invited me to play video games with him the other day. As my brother starts to warm up to me so are a lot of my classmates that just ignored me for the first month of school. Now when most of the boys walk in the class they come and say hello or if they see me on the playground its a "Hi Hailey!" its been truly wonderful to start getting pulled into my life here.
My spanish and slow but coming a long. Now that juanfris left i think my family will speak more spanish to me. Juanfris left for canada last night. It was sad. Me and my mother cried. he was really fun to have around. At dinner yesterday he came up behind me and tased me when i wasnt looking (tasing is when you come up behind someone and poke them in the side). For someone like me who is SUPER ticklish i fell over. The goodbyes sucked like normal. I knew him a little over a month and he was already my brother. I think what really made it real to me was when he added me on skype he labeled me Naña (short for hermana (sister) and only used when really close to someone). I almost cried right then and there. I so very excited for him! I know his exchange is going to rock! But at the same time i wish he was here with me so i could enjoy his company!
Coming up i have Rotary's trip to Manabí. It a HUGE beach trip where all exchange students meet for the first time. At the language camp i only met one third of the kids. We are going to get to hang at the beach, go to surrounding cities and just enjoy each other! I'm super excited!
I would also like to make a shout out here and ask a big favor. My friend Alex Horsey is an amazing person. In middle school we were both bullied for very different reasons. He took his pain and in high school created this awesome group called project believe in me. He teamed up with this girl who makes music CD's and they are creating a mixed CD with artiest from all over the US to help people experiencing depression due to bullying. Music is an amazing outlet to express yourself, either through singing, writing, recording or just listening. There is five days left in his money raising campaign. He is half way to his goal to be able to produce the CD and hold an opening in Portland. There are a bunch of great prizes if you help by sponsoring. Here is the link to the cite http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/839502552/hold-on-another-day-songs-for-project-believe-in-m?ref=home_location. If the goal isnt reached than everyone gets their money back. Please share this on FB and with all your friends. This cause is important to me and hits close to home. Please support it, even if you can only give a dollar. Thank you!

the rhythm of life

Last Saturday marked week four that I have been here. One month. One crazy month of non-stop adventures and memories. I went to the beach, Orientation, Hung out with friends, Learned how to play ecuavolleyball (poorly), won my first ecuavolleyball game (after three weeks of trying!)Went to school, Created new AMAZING best friends, took my first horseback riding lesson, and sat through my first piano class. One month inst that long, but it has flown by all the same. I think where did august and September go? Time does fly when your having fun. I'm having the time of my life!

Whenever i have issues tieing all my thoughts together i go online and search for a quote. I read hundreds of them before i find the one that clicks and my thoughts just flow from my mind to my fingers. So here is the one i found today;
                  “Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” –Jim Rohn
My life here is so amazing. I dont want to call it better than it was in the states, but it is different. Besides the constant headaches, i have things i never had at home, like close girlfriends, a ridiculous amount of extended family, and a culture i am completely and totally in love with. I've also been blessed to have the gifts i have been given at home, a family that loves me, food (more than i can eat!), and clothes. I really believe i am the luckiest girl in the world, just because a little over a year ago i decided it was time for a change. 
I have talked a lot about what i have been doing here but i havent talked about this lovely institution called school. Salesianos is the place that i go monday through friday from 710-110. I take six classes there, English, Spanish, Religion, Biology, Computers, and Social Studies. The time that my classmates are taking different subjects (other sciences and math) i go to the elementary school and help teach English. It has actually been a bunch of help because English classes are taught in Spanglish. The first day of school was CRAZY. I went a little bit late with my aunt (who works there!) and we went to the school inspectors office to work out a schedule for me. Then my aunt took me to the room that would serve as my class room. She pulled out three students, Pome, Sebastian and a girl whos name i didnt catch. My aunt used to be their teacher. She told them who i was and how i was going to need a lot of help and friends to make it through my year. Pome automatically adopted me. She told Jose that i would sit in front of her, and she would take care of me. And she so has! I love her and my other friends. They invite me out on the weekends and make sure i know what the homework is. They are patient with my lack of spanish and talk to me in spanglish. I know there is so much more to say but i cant think of it right now! off to do HOMEWORK! Yes i do my homework mother! 

Two week are up!

I wrote this a while ago but forgot to post it..... Woops. Well here it is

Two weeks are up!
As of Saturday I have been here two weeks. It’s been two weeks of bliss. Two weeks of new beginnings, connections, friends and family. Two of the best weeks of my life. These last two weeks have been two weeks into the new life I am creating for myself. I am more excited that I have ever been for anything in my life. More excited than that Christmas where I thought I was getting a horse and I got a rolling cart of art and office supplies instead.

I know so much has happened to put me on this path. I know they were a strange set of circumstances that somehow fell into place. I’m pretty sure that even if I tried I couldn’t get it to happen again. For those of you reading this who don’t know, I am a Lutheran. This exchange isn’t only teaching me things about myself and helping me grow up, but it is bringing me closer to God. I know that he put me on this path, and someday I’m hoping to pay him back by using what he taught me here.

Well here is what happened since last update. On Thursday my grandpa, father, brothers and cousin drove to Ambato for a basketball game. It was a game for the all-stars of Ecuador and the funny part was a bunch of them were American. I met with another Rotary student at that game. Her name was Morgan and she is from Texas. Her transition hasn’t been easy for her, but I’m pretty sure that the night spent with my family helped. Here children rarely sit in their own spot; they usually perch on the arm of a chair near a parent, favored aunt, uncle or cousin. I had many failed attempts of sitting with Andy. Andy and me have a very I-hug-him-he-screams-and-runs-away-laughing relationship. I’m pretty sure it’s because we tickle each other and he can’t trust me not to do it whenever. So a little later my cousin (nico 8) came and sat on my lap. I was ok with that, for I was cold and he was warm. Andy soon followed and sat on Morgan’s lap and they took some pictures with us. They were so cute. Nico stayed there for the rest of the night. Running off here and there to throw airplanes and laugh. I was happy because I hadn’t really gotten to know Nico yet. He is a shy boy who doesn’t attach to people easily.

The game ended, Morgan left, and we went home. Overall it was a great day. Friday was spent hanging out with my family around the house. Then Saturday came with the usual get together with Carlos’ family. Little did I know it was going to be Embarrass-Hailey-Until-She-Wants-To-Hide-Under-A-Rock-And-Never-Emerge-Again day. I get there do the usual say hello to everyone, and then follow my mom to set my jacket and purse down. Nico came up behind me and gave me a present. I said thanks and opened it. He gave me a really pretty purple ring. I thank him and he runs away. I walk back into the living room and sit down next to my mother. That’s when my dad comes in and translates what Andy has been yelling for the past five minutes. He tells the group that Andy has been making fun of Nico because he gave me a marriage ring. I turned bright pink right then and there.  That’s when Nico’s mother chimes in and tells the whole group how at breakfast, lunch and dinner at their house I am always brought up by Nico. If I thought I was embarrassed before I was mistaken. She then brings up the basketball game and my dad chimes in with another story that Morgan told him.

Morgan and me were going to the bathroom at the game. In order to do that you have to walk around the stadium.  As we were walking six men held up their papers with “10” on them and started trying to get our attention. It was so embarrassing! So of course my dad has to tell the world. At this point I think my face is going to burn off it is so red.

I’m really lucky. I haven’t experienced homesickness or tears yet. I’ve just been super excited to be here. I know that I’m meant to be here and that this year is going to be great.

Picture explanations

Sarah(Quebec), Simon(Germany) and Dana(USA) finding our houses on a map!

This is a picture of the playground at my aunts Pre-School. It is so cute!

She is building a gym, and a few new classrooms upstairs at the pre school. This room will be the gym!

The SUPER CUTE doors to her classrooms. There is elephant, Giraffe, and Zebra. 

Here is another picture of the outside area

First night in Quito. This was the view from my room.

My host brother andy with the duck whistle i got him

Me and Juanfris holding up the world

Im standing on both sides of the EQUATOR!

My Dad, Carlos and Host Brother, Juan Francisco  (who is going to Canada!) 

My WONDERFUL Mammi, Cathy

My wonderful parents and me!

I got cornrows!

Me and my cousin Valentina who both got cornrows!

Realizations/Adventures so far

Being in a new country is full of realizations. Like realizing that everyone drives crazy, while talking on the phone, and seat belts are only used in the front seat. Realizing that every time you see dog poop doesn't mean that some person was inconsiderate and didn't pick it up, but knowing that the dog that left that lovely present you almost stepped on doesn't have a home and is probably sick.
Today I realized how hopelessly lost I am when it comes to my Spanish skills, but realizing everyday I understand more and more. Today I also came to the realization that I am here for a year. A year. A year ago today I would have told you how scared I was. It was a daunting task ahead of me. But truth is i already gave a year of my life to Rotary in my country. Seeing how amazing it was, I am not scared for the year ahead. I know its going to be hard, and sometimes disappointing. But I also know it will be the best year of my life. This is my senior year. Most of my peers will look back at this year and remember the parties, prom, schoolwork and the epicness of being on top of the totem pole of high school. I will look back on this year and remember the friends I made, the memories created, the language that I swear is the prettiest on the planet, and the beautiful country called Ecuador. Not many people can look back at their high school life and remember an experience like this one.
The real hard realization that hit me today what that i wont hug my family for a year. I will see their faces, hear their voices and read about their lives. But I wont physically see them for a whole year. That is the most daunting task ahead.
So far I have been to the beach, unpacked, met almost my whole extended family and shopped. I've met the other american exchange students and tomorrow i will meet the rest. I know that these people will become my extended family and make it easier not to see mine. Besides the kids I'm going to meet, I have already created a family here with Cathy, Carlos, Juanfris, Andy, Lorena, Jose, Valentina, Dana and the rest of my wonderful welcoming family.
This last weekend was so much fun. Carlos spent Saturday in Quito for a work training. He was supposed to catch a bus to Quito and a car home. But he woke up in the morning and his phone didn't work. So he missed the call to go downstairs and get on the bus. So he had to take the car (the other car is in the shop because the person we rented it from rented it someone else while we were on vacation and the got in a car crash). Cathy and me were supposed to go shopping that afternoon but now we were stuck. Lucky for us we have a truly wonderful family. My aunt Lorena (Panchis) family was going out with my grandparents so Panchis let us borrow her car.We started off by going to Carlos' parents for lunch (like we do every Saturday) then mom and me went out and did so much shopping before returning it to her. But we weren't done yet. But my grandma let us borrow her car, so we finished almost all of it. I got my uniform, hangers, laundry bin, baskets for all my make up and stuff, school shoes and most of the ingredients for cinnamon rolls and cheese potatoes.
Sunday was busy as well. It was my mothers birthday. I gave her a pair of BEAUTIFUL hand make earrings from Portland. we had a lazy morning fitting Cathy, Andy and me on the bed to watch cartoons. Carlos went out for a bike ride and Juanfris was still at the beach with his friends. About noon we left for a town called Chambo where a family member owns a house. Little did i know how many people were going to be there. Cathy and me both wished we had more sleep. The night before there had been some sort of celebration in Riobamba that included lighting off fireworks that sounded likes bombs every 20 minutes from 9pm until about 330am. That was followed by a cat fight in the street outside my house and a marching band soon after. I got about four hours of sleep total.
Well when we finally got to Chambo (about 15 minutes from my house) I met my great aunts, uncles and grandparents. I noticed how young they all were for their generations. My great grandparents were the age of my grandparents at home, my grandparents are a tiny bit older of my parents and my parents just seem flat out young. My mom was turning 38. I helped set up the table (which not speaking Spanish it was pretty funny)  when all the sudden I hear my name said like three our four times. I poke my head out from around the corner with a "Si?". My dad looks at me and laughs. My great grandparents were trying to figure out how to say my name! Here the H is usually dropped and it comes our Ailey. Its cute and I like it. After lunch (they think i don't eat enough) I sat down on the couch and completely fell asleep. I got rudely awakened by my little brother about an hour later and he started poking me to see if I really was asleep. So I talked with the family for a bit then sat back down in a chair. I guess my day was just catching up with me because I promptly fell asleep again. Before I know it I'm getting attacked by my cousins saying in their cute English accents "Time to go!!!!" Panchis family and mine were heading to the mall we all needed a few things. So we piled in the cars and took off.
We got in late that night and I literally fell into bed and passed out for nine hours straight.
Today was fun, I spent the morning with Panchis visiting her preschool (which is under construction to add a few new class rooms), helping her pick up a few items and just hanging out. I've been very blessed to have a family the speaks English very well. I know that its going to take me longer to learn Spanish, but it has allowed me to get to know them and form bonds with them before I am plunged into the world of school. They all promised that as of the first day I attend school they will speak Spanish to me.
Tomorrow is going to be so much fun. In the morning I'm spending some time with the other exchange students in my city. Then coming home for lunch and making cinnamon rolls for when my counselor and his wife come over that night. Its really going to be a great day. I promise to post pictures soon!

Six Days Later.

IM HERE. That thought seems to keep running through my head every 10 minutes. I still cant believe how fast everything happened. This time last year I knew i was going on exchange, i knew i had a year full of hard work ahead of me in order to have my time to celebrate and relax. I was heading into my JR year of high school, the hardest year, and i was throwing a huge responsibility on top of it. Rotary. What i didnt know at the time was how much it was going to change me. Rotary has given me so many gifts. Besides the obvious one of sending me to ECUADOR, they have taught me so much about speaking, being proud of who i am, and striving to do the best i possibly can. They have prepared me so much for the rest of my life. Granted not all the credit goes to them :) My parents did a pretty amazing job at raising me, but rotary taught me the few things that they couldn't.
But getting to the good stuff. I have been here for six days so far. I only arrived in Riobamba last night, having spent the last five days in Casa Blanca, a beach in the province of Esmeraldas. It was beautiful and always sunny. I had so much fun spending time with my brothers, cousins, parents and aunt and uncle. They were always right there teaching me new words. Dana, my 4 year old cousin, would follow me around knowing perfectly well that i don't speak Spanish and just talk and talk and talk forever! It was SOOOO cute. Valentina, my other cousin who is 8, would point at things and teach me the word. Then run to her mother to find out how to ask me something in English. I really hit the jackpot when it comes to host families. They are all so welcoming and wonderful. I dont know what i would do without them.
Today i have to sign up to go to school. That means i have to go get three pictures then go to my school and have my parents sign a form saying i will be there. My school starts on the 3rd of September but Rotary shall be whisking me away for my first week for training. Were going to a really nice resort on the coast close to where i just was. But back to my school. I will leave for school from home at about 7AM (yes that means im waking up at like 6) and get home about 130(I think!). During the day i will have 45 minute classes on Biology, Calculus, Physics, Chemistry (the big 4!) English (who will be taught by my aunt!) Literature, PE and Computers. With two 25 minute breaks in the middle of the day.
Well Tata for now. ill update again soon!
P.S Pictures take forever to upload, so they are on my Facebook if you want to see them!

So Close......

I leave bright and early Saturday morning. I still cant believe how fast this has all come to be! My bags are packed and sitting by the door. Today is full of friends, while tomorrow is a mommy and daughter day. Then off to the airport! The closer it gets the more nervous I am. What if I forget something important? What if i miss a flight? The truth is I cant pay attention to the What ifs. They are what keep us hidden in our houses afraid to do anything outside of our comfort zone. Yes i still think about them, but I have faith that everything will turn out fine. On Saturday I step into the unknown, leaving the What Ifs behind. If I didn't get a chance to say this before i left, Goodbye. I'm sure that if your reading this, you have changed my life in someway. Thank you.

Almost there!

I am 10 days away from leaving the United States for a year. I am 10 days away from going on the adventure of my life. I am 10 days away from testing everything about me. I cant wait :) I know that leaving my family for a year will be hard, but i am gaining a new family in Ecuador. They are just amazing. I have my Mom Cathy, Dad Carlos, Brother Juan Francisco(17), and my little brother Andy (7). Juan Francisco is going on exchange to Canada a few weeks after i get there.
The reality of the situation is that it feels like a dream. In reality i will be on a plane flying to Ecuador in 10 days. In my head i don't know. My life has always been the same. I have lived in this house forever, gone to the same schools and places my whole life. I'm going to something new and its going to be hard. I read a quote once "If you dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough." I finally understands what that means and i totally agree. Your dreams shouldn't be playing it safe. Your dreams need to launch you full heatedly into a terrifying new reality. My dreams are coming true in 10 days and i'm ready :)

Pre-depature adventures

Rotary has given me a gift that I can never repay them for. They have allowed me to learn about other cultures and create lifelong friendships. I know the people I’ve met and will meet this next year in Ecuador will become not only friends but family. Rotary has blessed me with a sister. I grew up with an older brother and this year I got a sister who lives in Japan and is one of the coolest, nicest and best people I know. I never understood what the rebounds (students that are back from exchange) meant when they said ‘I have families all over the world’. I now do. Not only do I have a sister who lives in Japan but I created  a best friend. Amy Chen calls Taiwan home, but it doesn’t matter. Just like the distance between Ryoka and me wont affect our sisterhood, the distance between me and Amy only makes our friendship stronger.

                This whole process snuck up on me. One day in Health class I was talking to my friend Meleah about how I had all my credits and I was trying to find something to do with my senior year. I mentioned maybe trying to go abroad, but all the programs I was looking at were too expensive. It just happened that Meleah was part of a program called Rotary and that they were holding a meeting at the local pizza joint that night. So I ran home and somehow talked my mother into going with me. The meeting went great and I filled out an application soon after. Less than a week later I got a call for an interview. Me and my parents went downtown and sat down with three Downtown Portland Rotary Youth Exchange people; Bruce, who is becoming the president of our club, Phil, who is one of the counselors for my club, and a rebound who went to Taiwan with Rotary. I went home from the interview with the thought that this could actually happen. I was the long shot; I was going into my JR year, not stellar at language learning and thought I had kinda blown the interview. But that seed of hope and excitement had been planted and it wasn’t going away. About a week later I was walking out of school and my phone started ringing. I didn’t recognize the number but for some reason I felt that I should answer it. It was Phil. He then informed me that I WOULD be going on exchange the following year. I sat down in the middle of the hall way and started crying with joy. I mean I was going on exchange to some foreign country!

                I didn’t know where I wanted to go, all I knew is that I wanted to leave the confinement of Portland and see the world. I wanted to learn now lessons, make mistakes and create a new home for myself. The summer passed and the blaze of excitement fell dormant as my summer life took over. Work Work, family vacation, some more work OH AND MORE WORK! Then School rolled around and all the sudden the first orientation was upon me. Delanie picked a group of us up from Wilson; Torvald, Samantha, Addison (a short term going to Australia!), Pernille, and me, and took us out to the camp where we would be spending the weekend. We pulled up and emerged into chaos people were speaking at least 5 different languages, grabbing their stuff then wondering down different paths that lead who knows where. I entered the main building and found myself in more chaos. I walked up to the table of inbound exchange students and told them my name. Paola from Argintina then told me my cabin name and number. Somewhere between the excitement, her heavy accent, and the speed at which she spoke I understood nothing. I felt horrible when I had to ask “What?”. Matilde then spoke from behind her “Your in cabin three”. I felt so bad, but the best part is that me and Paola are great friends now.

                Next we were broken into small groups and a waterfall of information was thrown at us. We met all of the country officers, learned all the rules, found out what we need to travel with, ect. That night we had a country fair. The inbounds (people in D5100 for their exchange) stood at tables with stuff from their countries and told anyone who was interested about their country. I fell in love with Austria at first, but so did almost everyone else. Then I hit Argentina and loved it too. But it was the Ecuador booth that made my heart stop. Sophie was the girl who went to Ecuador the previous year. She showed me pictures of her town, Riobamba. She told me about her adventures and host families. I knew right then that was where I wanted to go. There was only one problem, my parents didn’t want me to go to Ecuador on exchange. That’s when I ran almost smack dab into Mark

                I didn’t know this until later, but I had already caught Mark’s eye. But running into him started up the conversation about Ecuador. I told him about my parents not wanting me to go because they didn’t feel it was safe. He then looked me in the eye and told me that this was MY exchange not my parents. If I wanted to go to Ecuador, he said he would help me. The next day my parents came up to learn more about Rotary and the countries I could travel to. We went to the cabins to start with and MORE information was thrown at us and our parents.  Then it came time for the country fair. I showed my parents Austria and Argentina, both of them they liked. I then showed them Ecuador. We talked to Sophie and Poala for a while, and then I introduced my parents to Mark. In the end my parents decided that Ecuador is safer than they thought.

                I went home after that orientation so excited. But life took over. Hard classes and work took over my life. Seeing Torvald in the hall almost everyday kept a little torch burning about my exchange. Before I knew it the next Rotary event was upon me. It was time for the eastern Oregon excursion. My mom drove me out to a kMart and I hopped on our rotary bus. We drove up the Columbia gorge and met up with the other bus that picked up exchange students. That’s when I got to see Marilyn again. She had become my best friend at the first event. We were both looking at latin countries and had similar interest. The bus’ pulled out and we were on the next leg of our journey to cove, Oregon.

                Once we got there we hit the ground running. We unpacked the bus, got situated in our rooms, ate dinner, and got to hang out while the adults went out to dinner. Lights out came to soon, my bunk room happened to have to Latin girls in it so we blared some music and danced until lights out. The next morning we woke up early and the inbounds left to go talk to an elementary school about their countries. We were left behind with mark to play a game called Bafa bafa. Bafa Bafa simulates culture shock. There are two cultures, each with its own seat of rules. Then ambassadors are sent from one culture to the next to see if they can figure out the rules and successfully intergrade into the culture.  It was super hard! Later that night the adults thought it would be funny to scare us with a fake (even though we didn’t know it) country selection. Dan found my reaction hilarious and thought I was about to cry. I wasn’t 100% sure where I wanted to go yet.

                Somehow between that night and the next afternoon I was sure where I wanted to go. Ecuador. We woke up early and got on bus’ to get to Anthony lakes where we would be skiing and snowboarding. During the day we had to stop and come select out countries. I walked in confidently and put down Ecuador with Argentina, Chile, Austria and Peru as my backups. Later that night the adults went out and had dinner while we had a dance party. It was super fun, but we couldn’t quite get the idea that we were going to find out where we were going out of our heads. Soon enough the adults came back and grabbed their inbounds, pulled them out to the hall and told them who was going. After that they had all the outbounds line up and listen. They went in alphabetical order, Argentina, Austria, Chile, Denmark, then Ecuador. My heart was racing. I couldn’t believe that this was my chance. Mark, Valery, and Paolita stood in front of the group. Mark started with something along the lines of how proud he was of the two kids he choose. But my heart was pounding to hard for me to hear him. Without farther ado he called out the first name “Hailey Rethmeier” I screamed and almost tackled that girls. I got my first choice!!!!! I couldn’t believe it! The rest of the night was a blur, but me and a few of the other girls passed out soon after we knew.

                The trip ended soon after that. But the excitement was still there. I couldn’t believe I finally had an answer to the question everyone was asking me. I remember the first time I got back after that trip and someone asked me where I was going and I answered ECUADOR! It was the best feeling in the world. The time between the 2^nd orientation and district conference sped by at a speed I didn’t know existed. But the next thing I knew I was driving to George Fox university and was full of excitement. The talent show was the main thing on my mind. I had prepared a trio piece as well as a solo on my guitar. Little did I know that those weren’t the end. Somehow I got roped into the national Anthem, and I volunteered to help a group with love in any language. That trip was a blur as well. Time flew. Meals came and went, my humanity speech was given and before I knew it the parade of flags was starting and I was on stage getting introduced.

                The next day was the waterpark. We went to the Evergreen Aviation Museum’s water park no less. It was full of splashing, playing, dunking and screaming as we all celebrated one of the last times we would be together.  When it was all said and done the end of the day came with morning following too quickly. Parents came and exchange students left. Tears were shed and goodbyes said. Some students were leaving before the final event and we wouldn’t see them again.

                Parties were the next step. It was time to say goodbye to everyone. Some were held before the final event, some after the amazing night of dancing and tears. Some outbounds spent the night at Morgan’s (outbound to Switzerland) while the inbounds stayed at the school. Again morning came to fast. Ryoka and me pulled away as sadness filled out hearts. More goodbye parties followed and tears were not far behind.

                Today I said goodbye to my sister Ryoka. She left at the crack of dawn this morning to fly home to her town of Sapporo Japan. She will be truly missed. Rotary has given me a gift I cant repay when it comes to her. She was the best sister I could ever ask for. Thank you. Thank you a million times over. Thank you.