Marco Mocci

2009-10 Inbound from Italy

Hometown: Cagliara, Sardinia, Italy

Sponsor: Brescia Nord Rotary Club, District 2050, Italy

Host: Coral Springs Rotary Club, District 6990, Florida, USA

School: Coral Glades High School, Coral Springs, Florida

Bio

Marco's Bio

October 14 Journal

Hi Rotary, how are you? I'm very well. I moved here two months ago. When I arrived my English was not good and now it's all as first, no no I'm joking. Now my English is better but unfortunately it is not perfect.

So how was this two months? Good, sad, all of the emotions than imagine is possible. I was sad for my friends in Italy, for my girlfriend, for my independence and this kind of thing. I was good for the possibility who I have, the possibility for learn a new culture, for change my life, for became a new person, but now I think who is better stay as I am, the crazy Italian boy of ever.

During this time was succeeded a lot of thing, I have met, maybe, my new family than bring me for look at alligators, than I had never seen. The family was so friendly and Dave Johnson is very good with the computer, the day we had talk for an hour about huddle a text in a pictures. Also their son was very friendly and I have met a few his crazy friends. With them I have play darts, a new interesting game for me and I have discover I am very good.

One weekend I went to Miami by train with Al and Will, two of my friends, also exchange students. A lot of fun and the wallet was empty but Miami is so expensive so was a very good thing. This weekend I went to a pub in Boca with friends and Al, but I do a very big mistake: I had forgot the time so in midnight Stacy, my host mother, call me and she ask me where I was. It was so scary because I knew who I had lose her trust. At the end I passed the night in Al's house because I can't return at home without my friends' car.

After this day I went in a Rotary meeting with all of the exchange students. We went in a safari where for the second time, but with a lot of more fun laughing and joking without think with the other exchange students. We passed the night in the Diana's house, a woman who will host us in April. Here there was a troupe who had ask us to talk at the camera and say our name, surname, and a sentence, we must say how we want the world. We had a very good time in that house, we speak, we play instrument, and we become friends, a group of guys with a different skin and culture but with the same heart, a group of guys with a dream in the eyes. The night was so nice, together on one bed, crushed and over the other, talking and joking, together forgetting about the different race, beautiful. The day after that we been in the boat of Bellina's host parents, we were so tired because we go to sleep at one-two o’clock in the morning. The boat as big to 2 level and we do a tour in the south of Miami by boat. All of the people has swim but not I because I don't like the sea, I don't know why... wherever was a very good weekend I had had a lot of fun. Thank you Rotary for this big experience.

December 8 Journal

Hi everybody. I’m inside my dream from 3 months :)

In this last month I changed host family. At the first moment I was really sad because was like restart everything, pack the suitcase, pick up all the memories, and put inside one bag ready for start a new adventure; but after the a few hours I was happy as always.

I was already been in this family for one weekend that was really cool weekend. If I’m not doing a mistake I had already wrote about this in my old report. However is a really nice family, they have a lovely house which I love. in this family there are also 2 guys, one is my brother Evan Johnson, he is 20, and the other one is Dustin, he is 24 - both nice guys, they bring me with them multiple times everywhere from some store in Coral Springs to Miami and south beach.

And I changed school because my new host family wasn't in the Douglas High district, but I’m happy about this change because in the Douglas the people were really snobs. My new school is Coral Glades High and I love this school - is beautiful, I make friends the first day which I been there. The subjects which I take are statistics, Italian, economics, Spanish, integrated math, English and for the moment I have one subject which is like helping teacher but is a provisory subject because programming was busy and have to wait until January for take that.

In this month I been also in the Hard Rock casino/hotel with the Rotary for a meeting, and was unbelievable, was a dream. I’m a poker player and I really wanted play poker there, but was so expensive and I didn't have more free time so I just bought a chip for souvenir. That day we spent the night in Roy's house and in the morning we been to have breakfast and in a country club where there was swimming pool, tennis, and basketball; Marie Claire, the French girl, was trying to teach me how to play tennis but I was so so bad :)...

The following weekend we went to the Sawgrass mall; there wasn't somebody but I really enjoy that day, laughing and joking like a kids this is life :).

During that week in my home arrived my host mum's grandparents, very nice people. I’m not talking a lot with him but with her, because she smoke, so every time she was outside I went there and we talk about everything. She is a very wise woman and I admire her. I want to become like her when I will be old. After a few days arrived the 2 daughters of my family whom in my opinion have the same name. I can't understand their names, so I just call them the oldest one and the youngest one. I have a very good feeling with the oldest one but not with the youngest one. I don't know why - just we don't find anything argument to talk about, but I think is not a big deal. Both are in college and after my first Thanksgiving, which was wonderful, my host dad drive her youngest daughter in her college in Tampa. I was with them 8 hours by car but was a really good trip, and before to go in her college we been in Ybor City (I don't remember the correct spelling) - was beautiful, I love that city, is like a piece of Europe in America, looks old and maybe if for this reason that I like it so much.

Now I’m waiting, like everybody, the Disney World trip where I would see all the exchange students who are in Florida :)

January 12 Journal

This month was one of the most amazing months which I been here. I been in Disney World for 4 days with all of the other exchange student, it was wonderful and unbelievable. We arrived there the 14th December after 4 hours of trip by car, it wasn't so bad rather I enjoy that trip, we were talking, joking, and listening country music. When we arrived there we took the room cards and other stuff which we needed during the vacation.

The first day was the Hollywood Studio, it has one of the most amazing ride; there was also an attraction, it was like an elevator I can't explain what it did but you may understand. At the end of this fun day we saw a very great show made with water, fire, light and the Disney's characters, was nice but it wasn't the best one. After returned in the hotel we had the dinner by our self, I ate the worst pizza ever.

The second day we been in the Magic Kingdom which was nice - actually that is a kid's park because there was a lot of kind of bored attraction like Mickey's house, Minnie's house etc... but I enjoyed my time with all of the other exchange (6990 the best). I'm pretty sure that each else exchange want to be in our district.

Here we are in the 3rd day, this day I was like trash I was really tired and we been in EPCOT and there I went on the worst attraction not because was ugly or something like that, just because inside there was the vomit's bag, we were in a very small space, close inside a machine, it was a kind of space simulator, was fun but just because of the vomit's bags I was feeling bad for all of the day. In EPCOT there were also part of city from all over the world and there were attraction inside, like Eiffel Tower and the people were speaking the country's original language. That night I had French food for dinner and during that we saw the most beautiful Disney's show.

The last day we went in the Animal Kingdom, we didn't see everything there because we didn't have enough time because we left that park at 2.30 pm for come back home. We were tired and sad because the Disney's dream was done and after said bye to everyone we went in the car and at that time start the new trip for come back.

A few week after the Disney's trip my family organized the new year eve party in their house, a cup of day before that we went to Bellina's house in Miami for pass a little bit of time in Miami. We arrived there on Wednesday and we left on Friday for come in my host parent's house. I came in my house by train because I had to take Filippo (another exchange student from a different district who I invited for the party) we arrived in the house at 6 and the party started at 8-9. We ate we played poker and other games with the wii, is kind of weird talk about this because I can't put all of my emotions writing. It was really really nice. I had like every one a lot of fun as never before. and now the exams and school so I have to study a little bit - bye.