Almost
everyone in our school is aware of Future Leaders Exchange Program that is
funded by the United States Government to promote respect for cultural
diversity and mutual understanding. In 2010 I took off from the Borispil
airport and returned to Ukraine
in 2011, being a completely different person, as my parents and friends have
stated. Hopefully, all of the changes are positive! Of course, my foreign
exchange experience was very exciting and unforgettable, partly because I tried
to take the most of it.
Many
people ask if it is hard to adjust to American lifestyle, habits of the host
family or a different system of education. I do know that it is hard at the
beginning, since I was going through all of the obstacles, like opening my
locker, finding the right classroom(I got lost on my first day of school) or
even opening a carton of milk at lunch (I know it seems funny, but the milk is
weird, let me tell you) but I can’t recall any of my foreign exchange friends,
who haven’t ‘survived’ one year in the U.S. Moreover, everyone spent an
‘awesome’ (Americans always use this word) time in the USA, so,
luckily, did I.
It
is hard to recall the best day of my life there or the most interesting part of
my experience, since, every single day in the U.S. was different somehow and it
was special for me for a bunch of reasons. For instance, hockey tournaments in
Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa were famous for noisy parents who
were cheering up for their kids, Business Professionals of America State and
National Conferences in Cedar Rapids, IA and Washington, D.C. left an
unbelievable memory of getting 1st place for the Global Marketing
Project (even though it was hard, we did it) and touring Washington D.C. I was
extremely happy and delighted to meet my first American friend and Peace Corps
volunteer Mary Teeter and spend a day with her visiting museums and talking
about her arrival to the U.S.
and my experience here. Meeting a lot of
people and making good and useful connections during the conferences in Chicago, IL and Orlando, FL
helped me to develop my skills and participate in various activities. And of
course, I can’t forget hilarious high school teachers, interesting and
sometimes even challenging courses and my friends who were always with me and
made an enormous impact on my exchange year. Canoeing in summer, going to the
movie theatres, cycling, pool parties, graduation parties, hanging out after
school or having lunch in Cold Stone or Subway are just some of the things that
we did together.
On
the one hand, I miss everything about America: my high school spirit and
traditions, my wonderful host family and amazing friends, DELICIOUS American
& Mexican food, American holidays, but, on the other hand, I am very grateful
for the opportunity to have such a great American experience. My American dream
came true and I hope it will continue soon … | 
