Julie Vetter

2005-06 Inbound from France

Date of Birth: April 26, 1989

Hometown: Durningen, France

Sponsor: Strasbourg Sud Rotary Club, District 1680, France

Host: DeLand Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida USA

School: DeLand High School

Bio

Julie's Bio

I like pets (mostly dogs). I also horse back ride. I like to spend time with my family too, I like to go away on vacation so that we can spend quality time together. I like to spend time with my friends (going to the cinema, organizing parties, going to the swimming pool...) I do scouting too. it is a really good fun!!! I have a really good time with my scout friends. I decided to become an exchange student, because I would like to be able to speak very good English, discover a new culture and learn new traditions. I also wish to discover the life of an other family. It is the most important reason for why I am here!

September 17 Journal

Hello everybody,

Friday, 22nd of July, I have left Strasbourg for an exchange program, during one year, going to Deland city. My Rotary Club in France is "Rotary Club Strasbourg Sud".

I have decided to go to the United States for be an Exchange Student thanks to Rotary International and thanks to my parents, to discover a new country, a new culture, new traditions, to discover a new life style with my host families, with my school (3400 students instead of 800 students in my school at Strasbourg), to go back to France bilingual, and to have International friends...

Now it is more than one month I do this wonderful experience!!!

Now I spent some weeks at school and it is better than the beginning... I understand more things, I understand when they talk most all the time, event if it is fast. :D But it was a really big change at first.

I have created a blog, like a site, where you can see different pictures of my friends, and my family in France, but to see what happens here in Florida with my host families, my new friends, the other exchange students!!! The address is: http://julieflorida.skyblog.com

Now I will try to summarize what I did during the first month.

I have met my first two families. They are very nice, and I love spending time with them. We already had a birthday party!!!

I have already had different meetings with my host Rotary Club: "Deland". And the people are very nice with me and I try to go when I can!!! Before starting their meeting, they sing two songs. I think it is a good idea. And everyone tries!!! :-)

Also, I joined the Interact Club in my School: "Deland High School". The people are very nice too. And we have already a "challenge" for "Homecoming" for example.

The Rotary have organized a weekend with the other exchange students. Everyone is very nice. During this week, we had some team games in the woods, and we have also climbed in the trees. We were really scared, but it was really fun. And we could already see the help between all the Exchange Students. I think we have spent a really good time together!!!

Since I have been here, I already was to the beach different times. It is wonderful. The weather is very hot, and the water too. I was to Cocoa Beach with my family, and to Daytona Beach with the other exchange students.

With some other exchange students, and with some friends of my school, we were play bowling, go to see a movie, go to Daytona Water Park, ... I have always spent a really good time with everyone!!!

One time, a woman invited me for dinner. It was really wonderful. It was fun because I know her daughter, she is at school with me.

The last time, I was boating with some other exchange students. It was wonderful!!! And I drove the boat ... LOL ...

I have seen a college football game, with the Florida team: "The Gators". It was interesting to see the ambiance in the street, before the game started. EVERYONE was dressed with the colors of the Gators' Team: Blue & Orange. The stadium was very very big. The ambiance was crazy, everyone in the stadium said: "GO GATORS"!!! I have seen the Marching Band too, it is really impressive, and very beautiful!!! And before the game started I have seen different exchange students who live in Gainesville (Laura from France, Viola from Italy, Ondrej from Slovakia, and I have invited Kuba, the boy from Poland).

I would like say thank you to my Rotary Club: Strasbourg Sud", thank you to my host Rotary Club: "Deland", to my Family, to my host Families to allow me to do this trip, to be an exchange student, and to spend a wonderful time here! Thank you for giving me this chance, I am very proud and I have enjoyed it!!!

Julie

October 31 Journal

Hey everyone!!! How are you doing?

So now I’m here more than 2 months now, and I really spend a very good time!!! I love being a Student Exchange!!!! :)  During this month I had a lot of busy weekends so I will tell you what I did!!!

I spent a weekend with a Rotarian family. The family was Jewish, so it was very interesting to see different traditions (what they said, what they eat, they don’t work during 24 hours, ...) It was really cool!! We went to the movies, and we saw the movie: “In Her Shoes”. A funny movie. We also were to the restaurant.

At the beginning I was kind of afraid to spend 3 days and 2 nights with another person who I didn’t know ... but my host family told me that it is an American thing, to invite someone to spend the night even if you don’t really know the person. So this weekend was pretty interesting.

At my school, I’m in the Interact club, and last week, we had a preparation to built a float. At the end of the week, we had a parade in the streets of Deland. Building the float was pretty funny, and I spent more time with the other students. During the parade it was fun because a lot of people were in the street for the school’s parade. It is crazy how here everyone helps the school and the students to do a lot of projects. I think it is a good thing, if the community is involved like that.

With Olya, I was to her homecoming dance. We were very excitied about this dance, because in our country we don’t have this dance, and it is like the movies. We spent a lot of time to get ready, our mothers were helping us. Afterward we took a lot of pictures with our families! It was really cool! And a unique experience!!! After getting ready, we went to a restaurant. It was so cool, we were like princesses, and we had special menus!!! A wonderful experience!!! After the dance was pretty cool!! We had a lot of fun!!!!

I spent some days to the beach --> Cocoa Beach <-- with my family and with their families! It was so cool, and we were lucky with the weather, because the week before we had some rain!!! I really love their families, I feel happy when I’m with them so everything is fine!!!

I also spent a weekend with my second family!!! One time we were at the school’s theater to see the play: “The Boy Next Door”, it was so cool! And the actors (some students) were very good!!!

We had also a time with the other Exchange Students, I was so happy so see everybody again!!!!

And during this weekend, I was with my sister in my 2nd family to a go-kart place, and we met their the nephew of my 1st family and his girlfriend, we spent a very good time together, especially in the bumper boats and bumper cars!!!! It was so cool!!!

Now there are more than 2 months I’m here in Florida, and it goes very fast!!! I have only 2 and a half months in my 1st family before moving with the other… On one hand I’m very excited to live another experience with another family, but on the other hand I’m kind of sad to think I have to leave my lovely family… It is crazy how we already love our host family!!!

I’m very happy to be an Exchange Student, and I would like to thank everyone who helped me to become an Exchange Student, I think we have an exceptional chance!!!!

Thank you, for everything one more time, and see you later for my new experiences!!!!!

Julie

February 8 Journal

Hi guys, how’s everyone doing?

I’m sorry, I didn’t write since a long time … So today; I’m going to give you a summary of what I did those last few months.

At first, I’m going to talk about Thanksgiving, it was my first Thanksgiving. – We don’t have it in France. – I celebrated it with my 1st host family at their house. More than 30 people came over. We had a lot of food, and it was really good.

In December, I went to the Daytona West Rotary Club to do my presentation. It was really cool. Everyone liked it!!! I was so excited and proud to talk about my country!!! And in one week, I’m going to give an other speech to the Deland Noon Rotary Club.

Last year … in 2005, I also did something awesome!!! I went flying with my 1st host mother’s brother. I loved it!!! I saw my 1st house from the sky. It was amazing, a unique experience.

I also had my first Christmas without my real family :S… Sometime, it was hard, I missed them a lot. In my opinion, it’s during this time you miss them most!!! But after it's ok, because everyone here said that you are a part of their family, so they make me feel more comfortable!!! :D :D

The 27th of December, I changed my host family - L - J - It was hard at the beginning, because it was just after Christmas. – You already miss your real family, and you have to change right after that. – And after the feelings are kind of weird … On one hand you love your 1st family, but after you want to know the other too… But finally everything is fine!!! I LOVE my 2 host families!!! And you know, when you change your family, it’s a new adventure in your Student Exchange’s life!!! :D:D:D

For New Year, we had a party with the other Exchange Students!! And just before the party we had a parade!!! That was awesome!!! We were so proud to walk in the street with our flag!!! And at night the party was pretty cool, the ambiance was really good too. We had a lot of fun!!! :D

The last week, we went to Seacamp (down to the Keys) à it was AWESOME!!!! We saw again the other Exchange Students from Miami, and there were some American Students from Michigan!!! Everyone had a lot of fun!!! We saw some dolphins, we went snorkeling, …

After this week, when I came home, I was sad L. I start to feel that it’s the beginning of the end of our year here … But you know, that’s why I enjoy more and more all the time spending here.

And for the end, I’m going to talk a little bit about my school. At the beginning, I didn’t like it at all; it was really hard for me to go there. – My English wasn’t so good, I didn’t know a lot of people,… - But now, I enjoy it more and more. I have a lot of more friends and the classes are easier. But I still think that here the classes are easier than in Europe.

So as you can see, I love being an Exchange Student, it’s awesome. What we’re doing here in one year it’s even more than what we did since we’re born!!! A lot of people have pleasure to show you around the different places, and take you with them to do different activities. It’s so cool, and I think we’re very lucky.

I hope it wasn’t to long, and you liked it!!!

Take care and see u later!!!

With A Lot Of Love Julie.