Erik Puchoň

2009-10 Inbound from Slovakia

Hometown: Bratislava, Slovakia

Sponsor: Bratislava Rotary Club, District 2240, Slovakia

Host: Southpoint Jacksonville Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida, USA

School: Bartram Trail High School, St. Johns, Florida

Bio

Erik's Bio

Hello. My name is Erik Puchoň. I am 17 years old. I am from Slovakia from capital city Bratislava. Bratislava has population about 550,000 people. I have relative big family, sister she was also Rotary youth exchange student in California, also I have 2 grand-parents and of course my parents. They all helped me and supported me with my plans to be Rotary youth exchange student. In Slovakia I went to Pankuchova high school and now I go to Bartram Trail High School. I think it is nice school, bigger than my school in Slovakia. Yesterday {29.8.2009} I saw with my host family first American football at my high school, it was very interesting for me.

I like sports. From ninth year I am a sailor but only on the small boats for two or one persons. I was champion of Slovakia in sailing with my team. Now 7 years I play tennis, it s my favorite sport and also sometime I go to tournaments. I hope that I will play in the school tennis team. Also I like playing soccer and other sports.

Now I live with my host family Bruns. Rob my host dad, Amy my host mom, and my host sister Molly (she went this week to Paris). Also we have a dog, her name is Jenny, she is very friendly and kindly. I think I have a very good host family - we have a lot of fun, and also they showed me the places that I wanted to see. I am very happy that I can be here with them. Last weekend we were on the beach, it was really nice for me and I tried surfing. It is not so easy as I think.

In the end I would like to thank Rotary, that I can be Rotary youth exchange student and I have this special possibility to earn experience, to meet new people and to create the friendships for all my life , to meet another culture and other country.

September 26 Journal

Hello. I am here now a month and a week, and everything is beautiful. I start with my school. School is now good, little long for me, but I think that now I understand more and I have more friends at school.

With my host family, we were on some very nice trips. We were in Kennedy Space Center, it was amazing for me because first time I saw Space Shuttle and the old clothes for astronauts, and I tried simulation like space rocket flight to space, it was really adventure for me.

The next weekend we were on the Alligator Farm, what was amazing for me because was first time I saw alligators and they were huge and I tried to nourish the alligators it was fun.

We were on the beach, and I tried to surf, what I always wanted to try, but I have to train because I am not so good now. There was really hot but I like warm, so it was nice day to relax. Last time on the beach were huge waves so it was fun to swim in the waves.

First time in my life I play tennis with my host dad in the night what was very nice almost like in US Open.

Last weekend we were kayaking what was marvelous for me because I love kayaking. I was scared because I saw something in the water and I thought that it was a shark but it was only a dolphin. So I was lucky that I saw wild dolphins in nature.

It is amazing to be here.

February 12 Journal

I'm here now more than 5 months and every day is better and better. I'm enjoying every day.

So after my Thanksgiving with my first family, I moved to Jacksonville. I have amazing family. My dad name is Rod, my mom name is Vicky-lynne and my brother name is Alvin, and also my friendly 4 dogs Gabby, Dottie, Gas and Bosco.

First we went all students to Disney, that was very nice trip because we were together all students from Florida. We had a lot of fun there, everyday we saw a different park. Last night we had very good dinner and we have seen amazing fireworks.

After a while we went together to my first football game. It was amazing, I've never seen such a big stadium and more than 40 000 people. That was my first game. After 2 weeks we went to other Jaguars night game. All tickets were sold and atmosphere was amazing - everybody was screaming, "We are Jaguars, We are Jaguars" :). That was awesome experience for me.

Next day after game my Christmas holiday began. We did a lot of fun stuff. We have been in Dave and Buster's. Another day we played night bowling and snooker with our neighbors. 31st December we had amazing new years party with all student from our district. On party we played table tennis, snooker. We didn't sleep a long time but we had amazing time together. After two weeks in new year, on Friday after school we went to Miamiiii with my family and Vinny from Brazil. It was amazing there, I've never seen such a beautiful city. I could see airplanes how they went down to Miami airport. We took a boat, and we saw all expensive houses of celebrities like Sylvester Stallone. We had a beautiful view exactly the same as they have in CSI Miami :) We also went to south beach where we saw huge cruisers. Last day we went to Fort Lauderdale, where we saw the best cars ever: Mustangs, Ferraris. It was my dream to visit Miami and my dream became true. I had amazing time there..

Week later we went to New Orleans, also beautiful city. I didn't expect such amazing city - we had hotel in Downtown New Orleans, lights were everywhere. We rent tuxedos and went to big ball very formal. It was amazing to see all people dressed so nice.

In the end of January we went to Sea camp, which is located in the south of Florida exactly called Keys. All students were together we had amazing time. First day we had a swimming test, and water was quite cold. After lunch we took a boat around 20 minutes and we jumped to water (but we had wet suit). Water was still cold but we could see some fishes, algae and sponges. In the evening we had a disco that was a lot of fun for everybody. Last they we went to Key West, little nice city where we bought some nice souvenirs. And after that we jumped to bus and had long way to Jacksonville. All student were little sad because some of us saw each others last time. We had a great time.

I would like to thank my family for doing everything for me - it's amazing and also Rotary because they gave us this amazing chance to be here and have a such a great time. Without Rotary this amazing adventure would never happen.

May 19 Journal

Hello!!! I have been here now for 9 months and time is running really quick. I have just few time left.

I'm enjoying every day. In March I went to see Harlem Globe Trotters Game, it was so funny, I don't really like basketball but this was amazing, everybody was laughing all the time. We had really good time with my family, brother and friend.

The following adventure was my birthday. I turned 18 and my family and friends made my birthday awesome. We went for dinner to Pizza at Mellow Mushrooms, where the food was very good, and where I got my gifts. After that we went to Dave n Buster’s games, where we had so much fun together. Next day we had District Assembly, where we met future students and also our friends, which we didn't see long time.

In April I had a big adventure, I went to New York and Washington D.C. It was amazing trip, if you just heard name New York, everybody wants to go there. And really it was life time experience for me. I saw places like central park, empire state building, Broadway, times square and more. I met a lot of new people and made some very good friends, hopefully I am going to visit them. After 4 or 5 days we took a bus to Washington D.C. to the capital city of USA, it was lot different like New York. In New York people were everywhere and streets were crowded, everybody shopping on times square. In Washington it was not as crowded even there was a lot of tourists. Washington seemed to more historical I mean all the museums and buildings: white house, congress building, nice gardens and flowers everything was in order. After the trip I stayed 2 more days with my family . We went to a lot of museums which was very interesting. And finally we saw ice hockey; my other dream in America was accomplished. It was amazing huge arena, people screaming Caps!! Caps!!! As a name of hockey team Washington Capitals. Last day I met my older host sister and her host family which live in Washington, we had a very good Mexican dinner together and after I left back to Florida Jacksonville.

In the end of April we celebrate Alvin’s birthday what was fun, we went to Alhambra Theater, where we saw very nice musical. In May we went deep sea fishing. It was amazing we went four guys for a big fishing adventure. I loved deep sea fishing, maybe because I was catching fishes all the time. We went about 8 miles from the coast it was very nice.

Last Friday after school, we went to South Carolina, very nice place, I couldn’t believe beautiful mountains, because Florida is kind of flat :) First day we arrived, we went to nice restaurant and had awesome chicken wings. Next day we drove to North Carolina and climbed mountains, we had awesome view from the top; I have never seen anything like that before. It took us about 3 hours, and we were little tired but, it was amazing. Next day we stayed in South Carolina where we went next day to see waterfalls. They weren’t huge but very nice and refreshing in the middle of day. We took pictures in all states, like welcome to Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina it was very nice, and I I am having amazing year here, and I want to thank Rotary for being here, because this year open my eyes that world is not just Slovakia and this year gave me much more than any other before.