Exchange student
It was the year 2003 and I was 17, can't believe its been almost 10 years since then, but it seems like it was yesterday when I was all nervous at the Quito airport waiting for my flight to Houston Texas.
Some people ask me what is exactly an exchange student or what do you have to do to be an exchange student. Well it is not too complicated, you just have to pay, hah, and oh yeah you have to take some psicological and physical tests.
There's just too many things to tell about my year at the U.S. lets start saying that people from Texas is really friendly and I had the best time of my life up there, i experienced a whole new, different culture, starting from the language all the way to the food and clothing.
I lived with two families, the first one was the Cheryl's family, can't remember their last name, and well the experience with them was pretty bad, I was always grounded for nothing, for example one day i ate lots of chocolate so I got grounded for a month. They wouldn't let me go to parties or to hang out with friends.
I don't remember much about living with this first family, thank God. When I was about to have had enough of it, a miracle happened and the best family ever adopted me as their exchange student.
The Cooper family was the best thing that could happen to me while I was an exchange student. They are a really nice, kind and outgoing family. Nancy a very loving mom, Jerry was really fun to talk to, eventough a little hard for me to understand him because of his texas accent. Jerry was always there for us when we needed him. And Keith, who became my best friend and a brother to me.
So what did i do in my exchange year? the question should be what didn't I do. I made really good friends who always helped me when I was in trouble, they had the patience to teach me every thing about the U.S. and americans. As I was studying my senior year at Sanger High School, I had to take some hard classes, in english, and talk english from the first day. Man it was hard, I couldn't undestand almost anything they were trying to tell me neither they could understand what i was saying. But it was really funny.
I practiced paint ball, learned to skate, rode bikes, drifted with an old truck, rode four wheelers in the middle of cow poo (with Diane and Katy) which i wont ever forget, I went to church and it was the first time that i actually enjoyed going to church. I swam across a river infested with snakes for 50 bucks and oh well so many other crazy stuff like going to Mexico and wouldn't be able to go back to the United States (sorry Jerry!).
I also lived one of the saddest days of my life, the day i had to say good bye and come back to Ecuador, everytime I remember hugging Nancy, Jerry and saying good bye I feel like i am going to cry, it was really hard because until today think of them as my family.
When we were at the airport I didn't cry, I couldn't, not in front of Keith because we were some "bad ass hardcore punks". But then I hugged Keith and he cried, it broke me apart. So after I grabbed my luggage and started to walk towards the security filters, tears started to run through my face and i couldn't stop, like i wasn't crying and sobbing, just tears. When the airport security lady saw me she asked what was wrong and then she saw the Coopers and told me: Don't be sad, I am sure you will see them soon again.
I fell in Love with the United Stated, and all I can say now is thanks to eveyone who made my exchange student year the best year of my life!
Some people ask me what is exactly an exchange student or what do you have to do to be an exchange student. Well it is not too complicated, you just have to pay, hah, and oh yeah you have to take some psicological and physical tests.
There's just too many things to tell about my year at the U.S. lets start saying that people from Texas is really friendly and I had the best time of my life up there, i experienced a whole new, different culture, starting from the language all the way to the food and clothing.
I lived with two families, the first one was the Cheryl's family, can't remember their last name, and well the experience with them was pretty bad, I was always grounded for nothing, for example one day i ate lots of chocolate so I got grounded for a month. They wouldn't let me go to parties or to hang out with friends.
I don't remember much about living with this first family, thank God. When I was about to have had enough of it, a miracle happened and the best family ever adopted me as their exchange student.
The Cooper family was the best thing that could happen to me while I was an exchange student. They are a really nice, kind and outgoing family. Nancy a very loving mom, Jerry was really fun to talk to, eventough a little hard for me to understand him because of his texas accent. Jerry was always there for us when we needed him. And Keith, who became my best friend and a brother to me.
So what did i do in my exchange year? the question should be what didn't I do. I made really good friends who always helped me when I was in trouble, they had the patience to teach me every thing about the U.S. and americans. As I was studying my senior year at Sanger High School, I had to take some hard classes, in english, and talk english from the first day. Man it was hard, I couldn't undestand almost anything they were trying to tell me neither they could understand what i was saying. But it was really funny.
I practiced paint ball, learned to skate, rode bikes, drifted with an old truck, rode four wheelers in the middle of cow poo (with Diane and Katy) which i wont ever forget, I went to church and it was the first time that i actually enjoyed going to church. I swam across a river infested with snakes for 50 bucks and oh well so many other crazy stuff like going to Mexico and wouldn't be able to go back to the United States (sorry Jerry!).
I also lived one of the saddest days of my life, the day i had to say good bye and come back to Ecuador, everytime I remember hugging Nancy, Jerry and saying good bye I feel like i am going to cry, it was really hard because until today think of them as my family.
When we were at the airport I didn't cry, I couldn't, not in front of Keith because we were some "bad ass hardcore punks". But then I hugged Keith and he cried, it broke me apart. So after I grabbed my luggage and started to walk towards the security filters, tears started to run through my face and i couldn't stop, like i wasn't crying and sobbing, just tears. When the airport security lady saw me she asked what was wrong and then she saw the Coopers and told me: Don't be sad, I am sure you will see them soon again.
I fell in Love with the United Stated, and all I can say now is thanks to eveyone who made my exchange student year the best year of my life!
Well, I'm sure u were missed too but later u find out more friends so nothing it's to gray or to shiny !! Miss you best friend and hope u everything it's going well hope to see you soon !! :) Mike :)
ResponderEliminar