Dana

2005-06 Inbound from Argentina

Date of Birth: June 2, 1988

Hometown: Carapachay, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Sponsor: Carapachay Rotary Club, District 4820, Argentina

Host: Bartram Trail Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida USA

School: Bartram Trail High School

Bio

Dana's Bio

I was going to the Jose Hernandez school, in the specialty of Communication, Design and Art. I was in Interact, where in the last period (2004-2005), I was the president. In the Interact Club of Carapachay we are 14 members, and the meetings every Saturday in the morning, but is different than here, because is optional too, but without school. I like so much Interact, I was there three years and half, until now, that I'm going to Interact in Bartram.

I study drawing and painting, since 4 years old, and I like so much to paint with oil, pictures, and I like so much design - I make bags and shirts. I like sports, but I'm not so good for that, only for swim, that I love it. I love passing time with my friends, and going out with them, stuff like that. I like passing time with my family, knowing new places, and new people. I like to watch TV, pass time on-line, in MSN (messenger), and talking with some friends. I like cooking too. I like to laugh, make the other people laugh, take naps, and talk by telephone, and I like shopping too.

Now I'm living in Jacksonville , with my host family the Brower's (Kelly, Pete, Kate and Chris). I'm going to Bartram Trail High School, I'm a junior. I'm an Exchange Student, I want to know a new culture, know more people, make more friends, know new places, and learn, grow, and enjoy. I'm very happy to be here, but sometimes I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!

September 7 Journal

I left Buenos Aires at 22:10 pm , and I said goodbye every body and took my plane. I arrived to United States at 6:55 am, to the airport of Atlanta and I was waiting until 8:10 and took my last flight to my place. I arrived to the airport of JAX, Jacksonville at 10:15 am. There were people waiting to welcome me, my host family (Kelly, Pete, Kate and Chris), my second family (Terry and Ric), my counselor and president of Rotary Club of Bartram Trail, Brad Kennington, his daughter Kelsey, Al Kalter (chairman), and some people from the youth exchange program of the district. After I took my bags and answered some questions, I went to my new home with my host family.

I live in The Parkes now (Julington Creek Plantation ) in Lake Parke. I have a room only for me, I have a dog Glory and a cat (I think that I don't like her so much , hahahah.) I started school, I take algebra II, draw/paint I (in this class we have big tables, in my table there are 3 girls, Julie, Leah, and Trusha, they are so so nice, and in the class we talk and laugh, I like this class, new friends), then English III, Fashion Production (in this, I'm working for my first project, PAJAMA PANTS!!! uh!!!, I'm very excited, I'm learning things really cool), and then lunch. I eat every day at the same table in the small cafeteria, with the same people, it's fun, and I'm knowing more people each day. Then I have marine science (I don't like so much, but whatever), and the last one is American History. After school , I'm going to four clubs: on Mondays, Spanish club and Spanish conversation, on Wednesday drama and photo club (I'm not decided yet, oops! whatever), and the last one Interact Club on Thursday, with like 50 people - I like it - (sometimes I don't know what they are talking about but it's funny).

In the middle of the month I was homesick, but I think that's gone, I'm ok now!!! Sometimes it's obvious I miss my home, but I'm better now! These last weeks, I know more people, I made new friends, and I'm very happy for that.

I went to the beach - pretty!!!!!!!!!.. with the family and some friends I went to Disney blizzard beach, with the group of the church, I went to see the space rocket in Daytona Beach, with Ric , Terry and Ame. I like to go to Moe's and eat Mini-Me!!! mmmmgood!!, and to go to Wendy's!!..sweet!, for now, my favorite places to go to eat! I was in The Aveneus (mall)!!..shopping!!!!..I did some shopping for CONVERSE!!!!!!!!!!! this month , it was funny!!

I had the orientation of Rotary, with all exchange students, I liked it so much, the people are excellent, very very nice, the students, nice people, and it's very strange, we can see, that everybody, of different countries, thinking in the same way, and everybody is in the same situation, and it was rely good, and made many more friends!!!

I also went to swing dancing, with Kelsey, Taylor, John, Ryan, Kate, Katherine, and Ame, sweeeeeeeet!! I really like this place, it's different from where I live in Argentina, but I like it, because that makes the difference, it's awesome this experience, is FREAKY AWESOME!!! Sometimes I'm sitting in the chair doing my homework , and I think that, DANA YOU ARE HERE!, and I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!, it's awesome. Sometimes it's hard , but in school, each day it's better, like I can understand more, when the people talk to me, in the classes with the teachers, it's good, each day is less hard, but each day I learn new things,  and I think that I'm growing more each day... but it's kind of difficult, but I hope, I think is the first time...  I like this country, I love the people, I like the school, and I'm enjoying so much. Every day it's something new, that I like.. Thanks everybody, (thanks Al).. thanks y'all..

Dana

November 30 Journal and Pictures

Hi guys!!!.. How everybody is doing??? I hope everything is going good!!!.Ok this is amazing! I’m here already for 4 months, it's so cool!, I can’t believe it the time passes sooooo fast, in three weeks is Christmas, after tomorrow, I’m going to Disney with all the exchange students!!!!!!!!!! That is so cool, I’m so happy about it, really everybody is, I remember when we were all together in the first orientation, and we look each other, it was like, ok will see you again all together in Disney, like it will be a long time, but now, is in two days, it's so awesome, for that the time passes so fast, when I’ll won't remember again, I will be one month to leave, and that pretty scares me, hahahha.. I’m kidding, but no, I’m serious, this experience, it’s so amazing!!!In this few months, I did a lot of things, I went to new places too, pretty cool.

First of all I changed families , oh yeah, I’m having fun and I’m doing really good, then let me tell about the last new experiences, in this wonderful American life that I’m living, with advantages and disadvantages but I know it, it will be part of this. I had homecoming, from school, this special dance in the school, it was pretty fun, we went to dinner before with some friends, it was fun.

Then Halloween!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s awesome; I think I will come to USA every Halloween! OH YEAH, TREAT OR TRICK! And FREE CANDY!, but then I had a big headache, I think it was so much candies for one day… but, that’s fine.

Then I went to St. Augustine with my Belgique friend Amélie, and with Ms. Hernandez (Spanish teacher) we had really fun, it was good…

I went to Jacksonville modern art museum, and the Cummer museum, for a field trip with the art club from school.

I went to the air show, with Amélie and her host new parents Cynde and Barry, it was awesome, kind of loud but, it was awesome!

I went to some football games from school…

We had Gulten’s birthday, that we stayed over…all the girls, almost all of them (exchange students)... All together sleeping in the floor, with the sleep bags, watching movies, eating… ohhh talking about eating , I gained weight.. Mmm….that is not good at all L but whatever…the food is good! I started to run… and I will try for track in school, I need to do some sport, seriously.

Then I went to Georgia the last weekend, for Thanksgiving day, it was so good, I really enjoyed, it was a family moment and I really miss these moments, for that it was special with my “grandparents” Mimi and Papa; Nana and Papo , everybody really nice, and Grandmi, and my family, and sisters, and turkey!!!!!!!!!!!!! The food was good… the place wonderful, the view, in the middle of the mountains, it was neat.

It was a nice place, a nice moment with nice people. That was my Thanksgiving day!

And then I’m so happy ‘cause in a two days we are going to Disney!!!!with all the exchange students, and it’s sure, that when we are all together is always fun, ‘cause, don’t care if is bored we have fun, and it’s so straight, see, like people for all around the world, we have a lot of things in common, everybody is the same, and when we are together we make the world smaller than that really is, and that is amazing.

Oki dok!...THANKS!!! THANK YOU!!!...Thanks for all the people that do this experience great.

Thanks to my first host family for the first time we passed together.

And thanks to my family now, for everything!!!

And everybody!!! that help me a lot…

I love ya’

Peace and Love

Cuidense, los quiero mucho!!! GRACIAS!!!!

Danita*

My youth group from church		Riley, Katelyn, and me at the St. Johns Town Center	Homecoming
Trusha and me on Halloween	In St. Augustine with Amélie	Me in Dalton, Georgia	Camilla and me, at Gulten's birthday party

February 8 Journal and Pictures

Hey!!!!. How everybody is doing…o.k. I know that is a long time that I don’t write my journal, and I’m not so inspired today..

In this last time…

We went to Seacamp!!! Two weeks ago, that it was amazing!!!!! It was really nice, I had so much fun; the people it was great!.. really THANK YOU EVERYONE, THAT HELPED, AND WAS THERE, AND PARTICIPATED, IN SEACAMP, IT WAS AWESOME!! And when we are all together is always fun.

Over there, it was our district, the district from the south, and a school from Michigan, it was a big group. We went snorkeling, and we learned about marine biodiversity…hehehehe..

And there is something that makes me so upset, when we had to leave, was that it was hard to say bye to all the people that we met that weekend. And I thought, it was just a moment that I imagine, when all of us, the exchange students, when we will have to say good-bye, it was so sad…just think about it…and it's incredible, how amazing it was. I love you so much, my exchange students, that just to think about it, made me so sad…but let’s don’t think about it…

I’m doing pretty good. I changed houses, now I’m in my third family, I have four brothers, and two nice parents, hahaha, I like them…I’m having fun!!!

About school is going good… I’m trying for track and field team, I am very sore…oh my gosh it hurts!

Everything is going all right for the moment…getting busy…

Love ya’

With love and peace*

Danita*