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 2nd 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.
