Juline Pottiez

2009-10 Inbound from France

Hometown: Harnes, France

Sponsor: Lens-Hénin Beaumont Rotary Club, District 1520, France

Host: Orange Park Sunrise Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida, USA

School: Fleming Island High School, Fleming Island, Florida

Bio

Juline's Bio

You have friends who have already lived that, you remember all your parents' advice, you have prepared yourself for a long time, you think just about that and all the time, the trip is exhausting but you are too excited to be aware of your tiredness ... But, when you arrive, you realize that even all the advice and dreams were less good than what you begin to discover!

My name is Juline, I am French, 17, and I am lucky to live this adventure! I live in northern France, in a nice town called Harnes, near Lille. I am spending my year of exchange in Orange Park, a beautiful town in Clay County in Florida. I am attending Fleming Island High School, as a senior like one of my host sisters, Kate. Indeed, I have already three moms and dads, two sisters, and three brothers in Florida :)

If you are reading this biography, you probably want to become an exchange student. So let me speak about one thing that you will hear soon, the honeymoon: your first days or weeks you will live in your host country like it is a dream and let me just say that, I arrived on august 12th and my honeymoon has no end! ...

See you soon!

Juline

October 15 Journal

Hi! I just came back from a wonderful trip at Disney World with my second host family and their grandsons. It was really hot! (100 Fahrenheit in October!). I am lucky, I know in France it is 55 Fahrenheit! Disney is like a city with highways and public transportations. It was really cool!

My French parents sent me an email to get MORE news and pictures from me haha. Actually I just have a little bit of time to communicate with them. In fact I am on the swim team at the YMCA of my town. So every day after school I have to swim. Sport is really important in the US and permits me to make good friends :) Moreover, school is easier than in France or other countries. So you have more time to hang out with your friends here.

Now, I have to speak about my host family who is just wonderful! I love them and I know I have an American Family for ever. I am sure that it will be the same with the other one and I just enjoy every moment with them. It will be really hard in 9 or 10 months to leave this country! I didn't cry in Paris when I left but I am pretty sure I will cry at the end of this year!

Thanks again Rotary

(2 months in a country I love)

Juline

January 13 Journal

Hi everyone!

It's been a pretty long time I didn't write. Actually telling my life is not something I enjoy a lot but I'm pretty sure it can be useful for future exchange students, as you are probably. Look! here is one of the first cultural differences you would be able to notice : American (students) people can write a lot! (look at the journals haha)

So a lot of things have happened since October. Indeed, my first family and I went to New York at the beginning of November (Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Times Square, The UN, the best :D, ... ) Then I had my first Thanksgiving! and I changed my family right afterwards. My second host family is really different but obviously, I had, and have a lot of fun with them! We spent a wonderful Christmas in a full house! I told you in my biography you will hear the word "honeymoon" a lot these months. You also have to know that during this honeymoon you'll learn "time's flying"... And it's definitely true! Yesterday was my 5 months anniversary in the US and I have known a few days ago that I have to figure out when I'm leaving in June! Le temps passe trop vite! My family and I are going to Las Vegas in one week and after it will be my 18th birthday! then Hawaii, then my French parents' visit in the US, ... still a lot of things to do before I leave :)

Remember, enjoy each moment of your honeymoon! Because time's flying... See ya!

Juline

June 14 Journal

Yes, it's getting closer and closer to the end. People keep asking me about what I feel "you're excited?!" Of course I'm not! The US is gonna be away from me, physically, in 4 days... I'm fine though. I know what I want. I know what I think. I know who I am.

A year ago, I remember how excited I was about coming here, learning English, visiting the US! but since that time, I have never been that excited again. It must be like those theme parks, once you've done the most thrilling ride the others don't seem scary anymore. DC, New York <3, Las Vegas, the Keys, Disney!, Hawaii, ... that was amazing and great to be able to see those places but I wasn't really excited and impatient to go there. Just enjoyed each thing, one after another, when they happened to be.

What really counts now are all those little things you've done besides. Making bad cookies (but still trying), watching movies with your family, being tickled 10 times a day by your little brother,...

I am going to miss the US, not because it was the US but because I am not gonna wake up sometime soon in my American family's house, I'm not gonna be able to hug those people I love,... But I wouldn't like to go back to the future.

Everything that happened, happened for a reason, the best like the worst always made you grow up and get stronger. I'm not saying I believe in any kind of superstition and I actually don't believe in God either. I believe in Human Being : each person makes a difference and this year, I've met people and some of them definitely changed my life.

You'll hear soon, and may have already heard, that this exchange year you are gonna live is about you. Let me explain. This year is about you finding who you want to be. This year is about the rest of the world that one day you are gonna be able to understand and make better for everyone else.

Never forget, you are a ROTARY exchange student...

Take the chance to make a difference.

Juline