The Adventure Begins

After waiting for over six months since I was accepted to the Rotary Youth Exchange Program, I finally know which country I will be spending my junior year of high school in: Russia! More specifically, I will be living somewhere in eastern Russia, which is defined as anywhere from the Ural Mountains to the Bering Sea. So I have narrowed down where I will be living to one town in roughly 4,300,000 square miles. More details to follow...

I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported me so far. First of all: my parents, for giving me this opportunity and for supporting my decisions. I am so thankful for their enthusiasm and commitment to this exchange. Thank you to the White Salmon-Bingen Rotary Club! They are the best club and I enjoy every minute of every meeting and I love spending time with such wonderful people. I can't thank them enough for this amazing opportunity. I also want to thank all the Youth Exchange Officers for putting so much time and effort into this program and for making it all possible for the students. They are truly an amazing group of individuals. I can't forget all the friends and family that have prayed for, counseled and encouraged me throughout the process so far. I am overwhelmed by the support of my community and friends and family around the world! And of course, all the inbounds, rebounds and wonderful outbounds who have become instant friends and who are all such an encouragement to me. Thank you!

It's been a wild ride so far, and I am enjoying every second of it. I can't wait to see what this next year has in store...