Marek "Mark" Fornalczyk

2004-05 Inbound from Poland

Date of Birth: May 25, 1986
Hometown: Łódź, Poland
Sponsor: Łódź Rotary Club, District 2230, Poland

Host: Flagler County Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida USA
School: Flagler Palm Coast High School

Mark's Bio

I'm Mark Fornalczyk from Lodz. This is the second of the largest cities in Poland. I have one brother which is 8 years older than me. My father was president of bank in Lodz and my mother one year ago was president of Rotary 'Lodz Trojka'. She is also academic teacher and she has company.

In my free time I usually do scuba-diving, windsurfing. I like music so I'm drummer and I'm learning at the guitar. In the future I want be movie-maker. I'm very glad that I can be here because I will have completely different experience and I have the subjects which, I'm sure, will be very useful for my career.

October 31 Journal

Hello, I have so much to say, that I don’t know how I can start my journal… maybe I should firstly  sorry that you can read my journal after…oh my God… it’s after 3 month… OK let’s sit comfortable on the chair and let’s begin.

I arrived to Daytona Beach airport after 17 hours and there I met first time my host family. Exactly I met my host-mother (Meda) and my host-brother (Alan). I was so tired that I didn’t see anybody else but my host-family. My first trip was to Pennsylvania for my host-brother’s wedding which was August 7^th. The funniest is that my brother in Poland had his wedding on exactly the same day. In capital of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, we stayed 4 days. We traveled 2 days each way. During this trip I met a lot of my host-mom’s friends. Mostly these people are from my host-mom’s side.

Next thing which was important for me was beginning of school. Night before I couldn’t sleep because I was thinking about school, about how it will be, how I will be student, which kind of people I’ll meet, etc.

I was invited by members from Rotary. My first time when I was invited was after the hurricanes, when I went in same day of weekend. It was the meeting when the money from this meeting went to people which they need help. It was really very good time, like every time with Rotarians. During this meeting I met a lot of people from my school, I helped during the auction. I think and I heard that I helped a lot. Next invitation was to president of my host-club. Mrs. & Mr. Clark have very beautiful, big and (what was for me important) swimming pool. I was there 2 days and I was helping Mrs. Clark to clean up the pool. I was very happy because finally I could swim (as I wrote in my bio that  water is my second life). Next trip was to Jacksonville for football match. Before Jacksonville I’ve seen only one time in TV. My host-dad tried to explain me the rules of American football but I didn’t understand nothing at all. Finally after Jacksonville I know more about rules which are in football. The last invitation was by my host-parents. We went to boy-scouts camp. It was really very good time and I appreciate, because before that I’ve thought that I can’t be good carer but now I think that I can be but not necessarily. I have another invitations, for instance for jet ski, to join to charitable organization, I have also possibility to join police diving section because in my host-club is sheriff which will introduce me with first lieutenant.

Every time when I am invited by somebody I have a lot of fun, every day for me is priceless because I know that unfortunately time is going forward and nobody can change this. I hope so that you had fun when you were reading my journal and I’m sorry once again that you had to wait so long

Bye

Mark

P.S. Look at my pictures at http://wiekimaro.fotopages.com

February 21 Journal

Hi again!!!

I can't believe that it's almost ending of our trip in United States...NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! If it would be possible I would stay another year, but before I would meet my Polish family and friends and after that I would start rock&roll (right Tom?).

The last time when I wrote I finished about police scuba - diving section, right? Unfortunately it changed I could contact by sheriff but my host father told me that he can contact with him so I have huge hope that it's still actual...ehhh...it's really hard to find somebody with scuba-diving equipment and with with good prices for renting this equipment...

During this time I did happen a lot. For example amazing trip to Disney World you will can see on my web site http://wiekimaro.fotopages.com. This trip was really awesome. We had to be in our rooms before 12:00 p.m. but I think that nobody couldn't be in the park to 12:00 o'clock so we could do everything pretty much what we wanted to do. In four days we did all four parks. It seems crazy right, but we did it!!! Everybody were really veeeery tired, maybe I should say exhausted!!!

Right Before Christmas unfortunately I left my first host-family:(:(:(:(:(:(. Really I had awesome time in my first home...I have to say that my next host - family is also veeeeeery nice, and veeeery good:):):):):). I'm really close with my host families:]:]:]:].

Our next trip was to Key West - Seacamp - It was also pretty awesome but like everybody would say - it was too strict - it was too much rules...ohh well, I'm sure that staff in Sea Camp know what they are doing. Anyway, it was a very good trip because we had possibility to learn about marine flora and fauna. After Seacamp we went to see Key West. It is quite strange town because of architecture but also very nice.

I have to say that I can't wait to meet my international friends in outbound orientation which will be March 6th. Guys I have huge hope that everybody will be there...You MUST(!!!) go there because it is one of our last meetings (can you believe it, because I cannot believe that after 2-3 months we will not see each other but I hope so that we will have contact to each other when we come back to homes). Ok sorry but it's quite sad news...ehhh oh well... unfortunately also it is part of Exchange Program... Ok I'm sorry

See ya later

Mark

May 15 Journal

Hello again guys, What's up? You know what? At this time I won't write about my different experiences but I'll write about one, but for me very important meeting...meeting during this weekend (May 13th - 15th).

Probably you are asking yourself: Why it was so important for me, right? Well...During these days I finally understood that I wasn't as well prepared for saying goodbye to these best friends as I thought I was, after orientation meeting in Poland and in the USA...but unfortunately I wasn't... I have to say that after when I came back home I understood that the exchange program is over!!! I can NOT believe at this, but it is the most sad truth which I could imagine in all my life... It's been really the most awesome, AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME year in my whole life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel really VERRY, TERRIBLY fortunate to be around such wonderful people!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I came back today so all my thoughts are still fresh, because I wanna tell next year's outbound and inbounds that even if you think that you are prepared (I thought like this) for saying goodbye to your next the best friend....guys and girls....I can say right now that you aren't if you would not talk about this with somebody from Rotary or your host-parents...

So if you wanna help yourself (unfortunately I thought that I was prepared and even I didn't talk with anybody about the last day of being with these wonderful people), start to talk about the end of your year with somebody from Rotary Committee or if you have experienced host parents, then talk with them...

I love you all!!!!

Mark