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 Adaline
Carlile
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2010-11 Outbound to
Croatia
Hometown:
Port St. Lucie, Florida
School:
Marine Oceanographic Academy, Fort Pierce, Florida
Sponsor:
Fort Pierce Rotary Club, District 6930, Florida
Host:
Varazdin 1181 Rotary Club, District 1910, Croatia
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Bio
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| September 3 "I saw the most
amazing graffiti of my life - it was a picture of a man and woman about to
kiss, but the lady had a mustache and beard. I had to do a double-take" |
| October 18 "The bathrooms in the
old part of the school are unisex. It freaks me out every time I see a dude
walk out of a stall or walk in when my friends are going pee. Catches me off
guard every time. " |
| November 22 "Foreign exchange is
a story. You're the writer. How your exchange ends up is all about how you
choose to make it." |
| January 4 "I've
been put in situations where I would have rather DIED than face it. I never
would have had to face those problems and learn those lessons had I not come
on this journey. Or maybe I would have, but later on in my life in different
ways, and I find it's better to learn while you're young anyhow. :)" |
| February 24 "One thing I know for
sure is that it has opened my eyes. It's helped me decide where I want to go
in my life, it's inspired me to succeed and do so many things I never would
have thought of if I hadn't come on this exchange." |
| April 30 "But that’s what makes
exchange students unique. We go ahead and dive into the unknown, eager to
explore it and learn new things, to make those unknown things become known.
That’s what it’s all about!" |
Adaline's Bio
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 "Dobar dan! Kako ste? Ja sam Adaline Carlile!" That's Croatian
for, "Good day! How are you? I'm Adaline Carlile!" That's right, folks! Croatia:
The "Horseshoe" Country, is my grand destination for the RYE 2010-11! Emotions I
never knew existed flow through me each time I think those sweet words; they're
like music to my ears! But enough about that, let's get down to the nitty
gritty!
Let's just start by saying that I'm not your average cup
of coffee. I'm more like a "Limited Edition: Santa's White Christmas" from
Barnie’s Coffee. As mentioned before, my name's Adaline. I'm fifteen, but
I'll be sixteen April 6, 2010! I'm from a town called Port St. Lucie. It's
only a few miles away from the Atlantic shore and a couple hours south of
Disney World! I'm a sophomore at a small, unique school known as the Marine
Oceanographic Academy (MOA) located right next to the world renowned Harbor
Branch Oceanographic Institute! I have two unbelievably awesome parents
(Sandra and Dana Carlile) and the most amazing big sister (Mica Carlile)
EVER! In addition, I have two dogs (Bambi and Zoe), two cats (Nala and
Sidney), and three guinea pigs (Harold, Pumpkin, and Weebee)!
My number one priority in my life is God and He always
will be! Without Him, none of this would be possible for me! I attend this
incredible church, Highpoint Community Church, and I hope to partake in
their mission trips (like AFRICA) when I return from my exchange! Being a
missionary and interpreter is one of my main life goals, so this program is
pretty much the cheese to my mac! ;D I do some jammin' of my own: mainly the
piano, and a bit of guitar. Sports aren't my top priority, but I've been
playing on this SICK competitive soccer team for almost 7 years, and we're
state champions! Go U16 Lady Mako!
Although this bio could go on and on, I'll try and keep it
as short and sweet as possible. I'd like to give a huge THANK YOU to the
Rotary Youth Exchange Program for making one of my life dreams possible.
Hvala! ;) ("Thank you" in Croatian, of course) |
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Bok, kako si? Ja sam jako dobro! :) Hrvatska je jako jako jako jako
lijepo! :)
Yes, I did just say the generic few phrases that are first learned when
learning a new language, "Hi, how are you? I am very good! Croatia is
very very very very beautiful!" And yes, in Croatia, they DO speak
Croatian. And if you don't know where Croatia is, please, just use
google... It is, in fact, in southeastern Europe....not Asia or the
Middle East... Now, if we want to get specific, I live in a lovely city
named Varaždin (pronounced vah-RAH-zzhh-deen, the zzhh sounds like the
"g" in corsage), which is about an hour away from Zagreb, the capital,
and it's just outside of Slovenia and Hungary. I've been here since
Saturday, August 28, 2010, which means tomorrow will be one whole week!
Oh, and I'm not the only exchange student here; there are two other
girls from the U.S., Lizzy and Emily, that live here as well! The rest
live in Zagreb. Now, you might be thinking, "Oh man, that stinks that
she doesn't live in the capital with the rest of them. That's so lame!"
But if you aren't thinking that, I will proudly say that I side with
you! Varaždin is the perfect city to live in for exchange if you ask me!
It's not too big, but it's not too small. There aren't people everywhere
like in Zagreb, it's not as diverse (which is good, because you want to
live somewhere where people are actually native, and they aren't
all foreigners!) but it's just the way you'd imagine the perfect little
European city to be, with it's main square, brick pathways, cafes &
bakeries, and old buildings. It has a delightful park with benches,
flowers, tall trees, and pebble pathways. One of the best parts about
it; they have DANDELIONS! :D So, that's a little bit about my city. :)
***NEWS FLASH: I just left my apartment to go...by myself...for the
first time ever....to the bakery on my street....and I got something!!
WOOOHOOOOOO!!! Independence!***
Now, let me begin by telling you a little bit about my visa
and departure. The process for my visa was extremely involved; all in
all, the process began in March and I didn't get my visa until the day
before I left. I was even required to go to New York City for a personal
appearance at the Croatian Consulate.....darn. ;) Finally, after much
confusion, and threats of me not being able to go, I finally got my visa
application approved, and we were able to buy my ticket to go, a few
days before I actually left. Word of advice: if you're going to be a
future exchanger, please talk with you travel agent (and be nice!) and
tell them when you would prefer to leave and such...if you don't voice
your opinion, you may end up leaving later than you'd like. Okay??
Okay!! On Friday, the 27th of August, my friend, Samantha, my mom, and
my dad all drove me to the Orlando airport. We had some delicious
Mexican food as my final meal in the U.S! Then, after lots of goofing
around in the airport, it was time to say my final goodbye's and head
off through security to catch my 8:05 PM flight to Frankfurt, Germany. I
flew Lufthansa...which is a German airline. All I heard around me was
German...even the flight attendants and passengers started speaking to
me in German. I didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or
not...I guess that meant I didn't stick out TOO much as an American! On
the nine hour nighttime flight, I watched "How to Train Your Dragon"
(awesome movie) and "Fantastic Mr. Fox" (another awesome movie). The
flight attendants served dinner...it was quite interesting! Then...it
was sleepy time for me. When I woke up, the sunlight was streaming
through the cracks of the closed windows, and they were serving
breakfast! Two meals?! It was unheard of! When I opened up my hot little
tray of food, I saw some spinach, an omelet, and some scary circular
vegetable type things. The German girl next to me looked at me, slightly
intimidated by the interesting plate of food in front of her. I decided
that I would sniff the scary vegetable things...once I did, it came to
my realization that they were potatoes! :D So, we both ate them, because
they were actually pretty good! :)
When we finally landed, I packed my huge carry-on bags and marched off
that plane, determined to find my way to my next flight. Supposedly it
was supposed to be in the same terminal....HA! I walked and talked with
a girl who was sitting in front of me on my previous flight because her
gate was next to mine. We went up and down fifty escalators, climbed
stairs, rode a little train, and had to go through security AGAIN!
That's when I lost her...because the guy manning the X-ray machine
thought that my ukulele had a knife in it... After much more interesting
endeavors in the Frankfurt airport, I said my goodbyes to the German
soil and flew to my next destination: Zagreb. I slept that entire
flight...it was only an hour, but that made things go VERY quickly. I
landed, went through customs, then a man noticed my Rotary blazer, and
shared with me that he was once an exchange student 20 years ago in some
obscure U.S. state. :D He helped me with my huge bags, and then we
parted ways! As I walked out of the baggage claim area, I suddenly hear
"ADALINE!!!!!!" followed by some squealing and shouting. I looked over
my shoulder and I see my huge welcome party consisting of my host
parents (Josip and Andelka), host sister Estera, nine-years-old), host
cousin, some family friends, and some of Donata's (my host sister who is
currently living in Florida for her exchange!) friends! :D It was so
nice to finally meet everyone in person. My host mom was so excited, she
was about to cry! And my host dad had my mom on Facebook IM, giving her
the play by play of what was happening. XD
Although, I could keep droning on about the next week, and trust me,
each day would be at least three long long paragraphs long, I won't bore
you with that. Instead, I'll just give you some key points of a few
different things! Ready, set, GO!
Favorite things to do (so far):
- Walk around aimlessly with Petra and friends
- Go to the bakery and get something yummy
- Ask countless questions on how to say different things in
Croatian
- Organize my desk and look at all my beautiful pictures of my
family and friends back home
- Open my windows and breathe the fresh Croatian air while
enjoying the wonderful view
- Eating Zdenka on my bread
Some fun facts:
- They are obsessed with cold feet - always where socks or
slippers or they'll think you'll get sick
- The food here is really good, and fresh, and delicious.
- They say "Viđenja" to people leaving an elevator (It's their
goodbye)
- People in Varaždin love to ride bikes
- They have coffee everyday - it's merely a social event, they
get together, order something from a cafe, and just sit and talk
- it's a daily ritual
- Everyone uses an umbrella when it rains (obviously).
Everyone. They don't share either. So, if it's really busy, you
are constantly hitting other peoples umbrellas.
- The hot chocolate here is like pudding!
- It seems to me that everyone wears those little "jegging"
things or whatever they are called...
- Everyone seems to smoke.
- They are very very concerned about your health. I got kind
of sick, not deathly or anything, and they started talking about
taking me to a doctor, and they even mentioned the emergency
room at one point!
- Things are a lot more cheap here - 1 U.S. dollar is about 5
Croatian kunas - it's really freaky to see prices for gas as
high as 8.95 kn, but then you realize that it's less than two
American dollars! >:O
- They don't drink a lot here - especially with their meals.
When they serve drinks at places, there's usually no ice, and
they give you the drink in the regular bottle and a glass to
pour it in - the glasses are really small compared to the U.S.
glasses!
- The McDonalds here (only one in my city) is much more fresh,
but the menu is much more limited.
- I saw the most amazing graffiti of my life - it was a
picture of a man and woman about to kiss, but the lady had a
mustache and beard. I had to do a double-take. XD
- Although the music over the radio is mainly American, it's
old American songs...like...old songs. I haven't heard much
music from the past few years, which I think is a good thing in
my opinion...XD
As for the language, I learn more and more everyday. Although
it's not as much as I thought I'd learn, it still is my first
week, so I can't get too hard on myself yet. One plus is that I
can actually differentiate words, rather than it sounding like a
big flow of nothingness...although I don't understand the words,
I'm beginning to notice the pattern. XD Here are a few words and
phrases! (Roughly translated, you can't really literally
transla"te anything in this language.)
- "Idemo na kavu." - "We're going to get some coffee." You
really just say that if you're about to go and hang out and
drink whatever at a cafe or something.
- "Moram jako prdnuti." - "I have to fart really bad."
- "Ovo je jako ukusno/ukusan." - "This is very delicious!"
- "Mogu li (molim vas) dobiti _______?" - "May I (please) have
_______?"
- "Kako se kaže "_____" na hrvatskom?" - "How do you say _____
in Croatian?"
- "Oprosti. Moj hrvatski je jako loš. Govorim i razumijem malo!
Ali učim jezik!!" - "Sorry. My Croatian is very bad. I speak and
understand only a little. But I'm studying!!" (Just don't say
this to your little host sister who doesn't speak any English,
because if you say this, she just might reply with "Jako!", and
walk away...)
Luckily I haven't become homesick yet. And hopefully I won't
have too. God has really been giving me a lot of strength and
courage when I should have been crying and pulling my hair out!
Oh man, He's awesome. :) Not only that, but hearing Croatian has
become normal to me; if I heard English being spoken, I'd be a
little taken aback and freaked out! I just want to learn it as
fast as I can. It's really awkward when you see a group of
people, and guys especially do this, just sit and openly stare
and point at you, then speak in Croatian and laugh....It's a
good thing Petra speaks Croatian because she had to fill me in
every single time; they've said things like, "Oh, they won't
understand you! Hahaha!" or "I want to talk to the girls over
here!" or "Oh, you think you can just come in here and blah blah
blah!" Each of these quotes have their own unique story, but I
won't bore you with those. I just can't wait for the day when
I'll be able to turn to them and say, "Oprostite. Govorim i
razumijem hrvatski jako dobro. Hvala." Then walk away...>:D
All in all, I'm having a wonderful time, and I truly wish I could
convey to you the amazing things that God has let me encounter!
I've had so many cool opportunities happen to me already, one
being laying hands on a new friend and praying for a healing
from her brain tumor. :D :D :D I've felt so many emotions,
emotions and feelings I've never felt, but that just comes with
being an exchange student. It's something you truly have to
experience yourself. :) Oh, I'm going to try and have some
videos posted in my next journal, and here's a link to my Flickr
account, where I'm going to attempt to post my pretty pictures
of my adventure! ---> http://www.flickr.com/photos/adasorous/sets/72157624863470304/
I hope this journal wasn't TOO long and confusing, I just really
had no idea where to begin and what to write about! I hope to
give you more clarity in future journals. I start school this
Monday, so that'll be something to write about. XD Well, until
then!!
Doviđenja!
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Bok, moji prijatelji! Kako ste? :D
I'll start with school, seeing how that's been the most prominent
part of my life since I last wrote to you faithful and committed
readers out there.
Oh, something important: I'm part of the bilingual class here at
the Prva gimnazija Varaždin, which means that half the classes are
in English and half are in Croatian. The first thing that I
thoroughly enjoyed about school here in Croatia is the wonderful
fact that every year on the first day, it starts later than normal
days, you sit in your homeroom class, get a weekly schedule, and
then you can go home. So, that's what I did! My host dad drove me to
school, in which I awkwardly waited outside the front doors for
Petra and Lizzy for about fifteen minutes. That didn't help the
nerves at all. When they finally met up with me, Petra. Niko, and
Lizzy all walked me to my class. then, they left me. Oh my GOSH.
That was a painful separation. I was about to pee myself I was so
nervous! So, as I leaning against the wall, pretending not to care
about life, I watched the young people walk by to see if they would
stop in front of the same door as well. Finally, the group began to
grow and grow, and after countless (and awkward) glances and stares
from curious classmates-to-be, our homeroom professor let us into
the room. I made haste towards an open desk and made myself
comfortable, being careful not to make eye contact with anyone. I
slouched down and observed. The people around me were already
talking, laughing, and bonding with each other, which was a bit
intimidating because everyone already knew each other so well. A few
times I caught a group of kids turn their heads towards me and start
speaking in Croatian. That made me extremely paranoid. All I kept
thinking was, "Is my hair messed up or something?! Do I have a
booger in my nose?! Do I have pants on?!?!?" After a couple minutes
of torment inside of my mind, my homeroom teacher, who also happens
to be our chemistry (kemija) teacher, walked into the classroom with
the other exchanger, Emily. I didn't remember him leaving, but
that's besides the point. The point is, Emily and I were BOTH new,
which eased my nerves because I knew that I wouldn't be the center
of everyone's attention. After the professor talked to the class, he
had Emily and I introduce ourselves and state where we were from.
After some more talking, he shared our weekly schedule with the
class. Finally, after what seemed like another few hours, which
happened to only be forty five minutes, he asked for volunteers to
show Emily and I around the school. From what I could tell, only one
girl raised her hand. That was.....really encouraging. Ha. Then the
class hurried out the door where only three girls stayed behind for
us; Paula (now one of my really good friends), Dora, and Petra
(another Petra, not the one who I've previously been hanging out
with.) They showed us around the school; our school is really really
different compared to the school I have back in Florida. It has an
old part and a new part - the new part has like five stories or
something like that...I don't even know. But, anyway, the girls
themselves got lost at one point. It was awesome. After the small
tour, in which I had already had twice before, the five of us left
to walk around the main part of town. After walking and talking, I
was a bit relieved that I would have familiar faces and names to
call upon for the next day of school. Although I didn't talk to
anyone else in my class, I had about 18 friend requests on Facebook
when I got home that day, all from kids in my class.
Now, it's been a while in school and I really really love my entire
class! They are all so wonderful and nice. I mean, yes, some of them
might find enjoyment in being a bit mocking and sarcastic, but, YOU
know, you just need to laugh at it and move on with life, because
they really don't mean anything from it...at least I think.
Nah, they are all really awesome. Here are some fun facts about
school so far:
- The bathrooms in the old part of the school are unisex. It
freaks me out every time I see a dude walk out of a stall or
walk in when my friends are going pee. Catches me off guard
every time.
- We have a "nothing" period where we can go out for coffee,
or go get something to eat, or even go home! I do something
different every time: coffee with Vana and a few others, or
Mlinar with Paula and Emily to get pizza, etc etc!
- My class has like, 17 or 18 classes or something ridiculous.
Luckily, I don't have to worry about them all. I just have to
worry about the half that is in English, which is Art,
Chemistry, Physics, English, Biology, History, Ethics/Religion,
Geography, and Gym. Woohoo! And, some of the classes they only
have once a week. So, it's not as bad as you'd think it would
be. But still.
- My school cafeteria thing has the best klipić in the world.
Klipić are these wonderful breadstick type things that are a
Varaždin specialty!
- I can't do math taught in English, so to be taught math in
Croatian is ten times more difficult. Stupid trigonometry.
- Kids like to sit outside the front doors and smoke during
the breaks in between classes. So, whenever you walk outside,
there is just a layer of smoke that clouds the air. It's really
stinky.
- I enjoy wearing flip flops. But people seem to have a
problem with that here, telling me that I will get sick. So,
walking through the halls in my awesome sweat pants and flip
flops tends to have the walking passersby stare at me some more.
Oh well! I'm comfortable when my feet can breathe!! but, I do
suppose that just screams, "AMERICAN." Way to immerse myself in
the culture! ...
- We kind of sort of celebrated International Mustache Day.
That was the coolest. I mean, all there was was a poster with
some mustaches and stuff in the front of the school, but that
was enough to make me happily hop back and forth on my feet
while making funny noises and smiling really big. My friends
back at home like to call it "The Addey Dance".
Some other really awesome things that I've done is go to Istria
for a weekend, where Emily, Lizzy, my host parents and I all
went to Istria and visited Motovun, Rovinj, Umag, Poreć, and
some other places. We even got to go to VENICE for a day! Let me
write a little about that...just a little. Okay, so, We
rode a three hour boat ride, on the "Prince of Venice", and
finally got to a port in Venice. From there we walked into the
main square and enjoyed the lovely scenery and everything. It's
such a beautiful place! It was also the first time in
forty-three days that I got to see/talk to people from the
United States that had nothing to do with exchange. Yay! That
was exciting. Well, Lizzy, Emily, and I were all having fun
touring through the small streets of Venice when we see
something that was quite....quite surprising. It was a kid from
my class and his family. That was really stinkin' awesome. I
mean...first off, we're not even in Croatia, and second off, out
of ALL of Venice, and just at that same time and place, we see
him there. It was sweet. Then, on the boat ride home, it was
extremely...EXTREMELY rough, the waves were huge! Well, needless
to say, everyone was really seasick, but I was thoroughly
enjoying the cold wind blowing in my hair and the jolt in my
stomach every time we would go on a big wave! It was AWESOME.
But I felt so much sympathy for those who had bags full of puke
in their hands...Yum yum. The rest of the weekend was touring
Istria, one of the six regions in Croatia. One of the cities we
got to visit was Pula! they have the second best preserved Roman
Coliseum! THAT WAS AWESOME. Just to stand where so much history
and amazing events occurred thousands of years ago was quite
fascinating!
Oh, FUN FACT. At birthday's, they throw the birthday person in
the air really high. Yes... I was at a birthday celebration, and
a big group of boys thought it would be funny if they threw me
in the air as well, you know, me being the girl from the U.S.
and all, experience new culture, YEAH. It. Was. Terrifying.
The language is extremely tough. I'm sorry, but I don't know of
many languages that would be any harder than Croatian. Spanish
is a breeze compared to Croatian! I wish I would have known this
when I was complaining about Spanish class last year and the
year before...... I learn something new everyday, but I feel as
though I'm not learning fast enough! Everyone is always talking
in English, so it's so hard because I'm never forced to speak
Croatian. But, I constantly have to keep asking the people
around me to talk in Croatian instead of English, and I always
want them to ask me things and say little things in Croatian.
Baby steps at the very least! One thing that really gets to me
is when people tell me, "I'm so sorry for my English. It's so
bad, I know." I'm like, "You don't need to apologize for
ANYTHING. I'm the one who should be sorry that I don't know
Croatian, and I am!" Yah, they all tell me that it will come
along, but it really just feels like a hopeless cause. Oh, and
everyone here hates German and thinks that English was the
easiest thing they've had to learn. What the heck?! Why can't it
be this easy for me! They all know like, 308475 languages
too. Lucky duckys. But, I think once you know Croatian, you
could speak any language, because they would all be easy!
Although they say German is hard...I think German is easier than
Croatian! But, yes, that's all I have for language.
As for being homesick, I've had my moments where I've really
just wanted to go home, just so I could hug my loved ones. I
mean, now that I'm gone, I'm able to appreciate everything I
have back in the United States so much more. I was so anxious to
leave and begin my adventure, but I never realized that I would
be leaving so much that I hold dear. My family and friends, my
church and church family, food (I love Croatian food, but I miss
American food. People really need to understand that American
food isn't ALL THAT BAD. Stupid stereotypes.), and a few other
things. I've never liked junk food or McDonalds before I came
here, but now that I'm here, I love McDonalds (the one here is
tasty!) and I love junk food. I didn't eat much of it in the
U.S., but when it doesn't even exist over here, it makes me sad
when I realize that I can't have that once-in-a-while bowl of
Reese's Puffs or Oreo cookie. People here really analyze what
they eat and where it came from and stuff. I mean, it's a good
thing to be aware of what you put into your body, but a slice of
processed cheese between two pieces of white bread every few
weeks isn't going to kill you! It will give you a party in your
tummy! But, those things I can deal with. I don't have a problem
with food (except perhaps too much bread....), school, and all
of those other typical things. No, the thing that I miss the
most is being able to give someone a goodnight kiss and say,
"Goodnight. I love you!" Just having that closeness with
someone, it's something that I really do miss. Ali nema veze! I
have friendships that grow each day, like Paula, and a few new
ones. I have people here who really do care for me and love me,
and most importantly, I have the Lord carrying me through each
day and night. :) So, I'm doing amazing!
Speaking of doing amazing, this past week has probably been my
best week ever here on exchange! I've gotten close with friends,
I got to experience Croatian Thanksgiving type things, I've
watched lots of amazing movies with Croatian subtitles, had a
sleepover, made stir fry, had some of the best times with my
host family, got to Skype with my family who went to Montana for
my cousin's wedding (in which their computer died when they were
saying their wedding vows. Nice. But, I got to be in the family
pictures; yay for being in wedding pictures while on a
little net book!), and lots of other things. Today, I got to
hang out with Paula for her birthday; we watched movies and had
delicious lunch and I got to meet her little brother. Oh. My.
Gosh. I LOVE LITTLE THREE-YEAR-OLDS WHO SPEAK CROATIAN. It's the
cutest thing in the world. Oh, and I also get to take cello
lessons here at a pretty famous music school, I'M SO EXCITED.
I've always wanted to learn! AND, my professor lets me play his
piano, which is good because I don't want to forget everything
that I know.| AND, I'm going to be apart of a drama class thing
at our big theater. It wasn't just your average goof around and
make silly faces drama club, it was an intense round of
improvisations and analyzations. I'm really nervous as to how
I'm going to be because I've never done any type of drama, but I
strongly believe that it will help with my Croatian and it will
also help me to build some charisma and meeting people skills.
Well, I wish I could write about each event and every detail,
but that would just take forever, and I still have to record the
past few days in my journal, like, the one that I physically
write in. But if you're interested in Croatia and exchange and
such, I'll give you the links to some other RYE inbounds to
Croatia. They are all living in Zagreb, but that's okay. If you
happen to go to Croatia for exchange, you'll have the biggest
chance of living there. ;D
http://lbpizzano.wordpress.com/
It's so unfortunate, I reread this journal about a thousand times,
every time a disappointment. I really wish I could convey to you the
feelings of being in a whole new world. Perhaps I'll dedicate my
next journal to being heartfelt and descriptive, instead of droning
on about events and silly things. Hmm... Yes. Yes, that's a good
idea. Stay tuned, and prepare for me to be sentimental next entry.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY |
Emily, Me, and Lizzy in Venice! |
Just one of the sweet streets in Varaždin. |
Most of my wonderful class! |
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Before
Baroque Evenings holding some delicious Čunga Lunga gum! |
Grape picking with a lovely view! |
Me,
all puny, standing in the middle of the Roman Coliseum! |
Me
and my mustache man during school project day! |
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Watching my cousin's wedding in Montana through Skype! |
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Hello,
to whoever may be reading this. This is yet another journal entry from me,
Adaline Carlile, outbound in Croatia. But, I'm going to announce something
now. This journal won't be about me. It will be for all you exchangers out
there now and exchangers to come. Fortunately, I'm writing my regular
talk-about-life-and-stuff entry and that will be sent later on when it's
finished, but I just felt the need to write a quick one about exchange and
some extremely important advice.
I've been here for almost three months. Yes, that time has flown by. I mean,
it seems like just yesterday when I was at my interviews, getting calls from
Rotary about my country, going to the orientations, and impatiently waiting
for the day when I could finally embark on my journey. But, then again, it's
hard to imagine that it has ONLY been three months. I mean, so much has
happened - relationships have grown, I've learned more of the language, and
I've discovered a lot about life outside of my little box. Honestly, it
seems like I've grown up here, and that my life back in Florida is only a
dream.
If there is one thing that I've learned so far that I really feel the need
to share with everyone, it's what I'm about to say. If you go on
exchange looking to experience all the tales and stories you've read and
heard about from people involved with it, then I have news for you. You WILL
be disappointed. What is exchange? Is every exchange the same? No! If every
exchange were the same, everyone would eventually get bored. Where is the
fun in doing something everyone else has already done? Where is the benefit
from experiencing all of the good times of exchange but never going through
the hard parts? Exchange is so much more than learning a language, it's so
much more than going to cool new places... Exchange is breaking out of your
comfort zone and going out into the world, learning things about life,
reality, the world, and yourself, whether it be the best year of your life
or not.
One of the worst things you can do while on exchange is constantly compare
your exchange to others. Whenever I went through a hard time, I began to
think, "Why is this happening to me? I bet the others are having a better
time with this than I am..." I began to get so down on myself because I felt
as though my situation wasn't as fortunate as the others spread across the
world. Luckily, I began to realize that life is life - it's not a fairy
tale, it has it's ups and downs, that's something I can't control. But what
I CAN control is how I react to them. I eventually came to my senses and
realized that my exchange is going to be how I make it. No one can write it
for me, no one can experience it for me either. If I want to make the best
of things, I need to live in the moment and enjoy the good times and endure
the hard. I've accepted the fact that my exchange is mine, only I can ever
have it, therefore I want it to be different from the rest. I like it better
that way. I'm glad things didn't turn the cookie-cutter way I imagined them
to be. I'm glad that things didn't turn out the way I fantasized them to be,
because if they HAD been that way, how boring and ordinary my exchange story
will be when I'm home.
Expectations are a killer. They have been my greatest disappointment and
problem while I've been here. And I think that the majority of exchangers
would agree. When thinking about exchange, people tend to start fantasizing
about what it's going to be like for them. They gather a whole bunch of
advice and cool stories from other exchange students, they go through the
RYE training, they hear speeches of how it will be the best year of their
lives, this and that, exchange will be like this, you will do that, you'll
accomplish this! All this talk of what will happen really intrigues people.
I made expectations. They told me that I'll be fluent around New Years?
Okay. I'll be really good at Croatian soon! This girl got to go skiing and
start a soccer team at her school? Cool! I'll do that too! Dream after
dream, fantasy after fantasy, I was so anxious to finally live it. But, when
I got here, to be honest, I didn't have that "honeymoon" stage Rotary talks
about. I got here, almost disappointed, because life here is, well, normal.
Sure it's not the life you had back at home, but it's not some heavenly
realm that's beyond your wildest imagination! It's life! It's real! Many
exchangers have already become disappointed because they aren't having that
"typical exchange". Of course not. You're in a completely different country
than 95% of the people you talked to beforehand. What did you expect to do?
For all my fellow outbounds having a difficult time, and for those that will
face this same problem, it's okay. This is all part of exchange, the good
AND the bad. They are what give exchange character and balance! Besides, we
still have so much time to pick things up and make the best of everything!
:) <3
So, before I end this little spiel, I'm going to wrap this journal up in a
few sentences. When you go on exchange, don't come with expectations. As
hard as that may be, be prepared to be thrown off-guard, be prepared to be
disappointed, be prepared to have your hopes let down. It's going to happen.
No matter how wonderful things may seem at first. But THAT'S OKAY. That's
part of life! Part of exchange! I'm glad I learned this lesson, to stop
comparing myself to others and to stop trying to live by my expectations
because it's freed me and allowed me to enjoy everything that I've been
blessed with here, and I live each day in the moment rather than constantly
looking towards what I expect will happen. Setting goals is okay, and in
fact, it's a good idea! It gives you something to work for! But
expectations? Like I just previously mentioned. Bad... I've now realized
that I'm not here simply to learn a language and live in a new place for ten
months, I'm here to experience once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, create
ever-lasting bonds with people, learn about the world and myself, and take
each challenge with a strong heart. Life here for me now is better than
ever, and I know another hardship is on it's way soon. But, I'm excited to
take it on, because everything that I've learned to accept and love here is
completely worth it. Don't give it all up because it's tough. :)
That's all. :) Until I write again! I have loads to tell you all! With
pictures and a video! Oooooh, it's going to be very nice. >:)
Adaline (or "Eddey", or "Edeline" said in a Croatian accent. XD )
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Bok, prijatelji! Kako ste? Sretan Božić i Nova
Godina! Darn! I can't believe I missed the month of December! I just
might have to send in TWO journals this month to make up for the missed
adventures. Dobro? Dobro! The last time I sent my journal entry, I
didn't really elaborate on my own adventure, but I instead wrote about
revelations I had had and what I feel is a true part of exchange. I also
remember remarking on how I felt as though life is really too good to be
true, too good that I knew something difficult was bound to happen soon.
Well, let me tell you... This past month has been one of the hardest
months of my life. Rotary, and everyone else who says this, is NOT
kidding when they say it's going to be difficult. I didn't expect it to
be easy, but I had always thought to myself that I've been in plenty of
hard times, awkward times, and everything in between, and that these
"hard times" they speak of will only be another obstacle that life
throws in your direction. I mean, what could make them SO SPECIAL? Well.
Ha. I've been put in situations where I would have rather DIED than face
it. I never would have had to face those problems and learn those
lessons had I not come on this journey. Or maybe I would have, but later
on in my life in different ways, and I find it's better to learn while
you're young anyhow. :) I mean, really. It's something I can't explain,
a lot of it things I choose not to discuss, and other things are only
understood through first-hand experience.
This past month was obviously the holiday month, December. We had New
Years', Christmas, and a new holiday, St. Nicholas Day. And all of them
were the first time I had spent them away from home. St. Nicholas Day is
held on December 6 of every year, and actually, he's the "protector
saint" or something like that of Varaždin! Well, anyway, on the night of
December 6, St. Nicholas comes, along with Krampus, the evil devil guy,
and puts goodies into your boot on your windowsill. Krampus will put
sticks in your boot: silver if your moderately bad and golden if you're
really bad. I, of course, got golden... No, but seriously. I did. It was
nice! Then a couple of weeks down the road, there was Christmas! I woke
up really early that morning to the sound of my little host sister
opening her gifts that BABY JESUS left. That's right, kids. Baby Jesus
leaves your presents, not Santa. Anyway, so, I groggily went out and
joined the party. I opened my gifts: I got three awesome books (I've
become a book worm) and a really pretty homemade bag that has cute
buttons! Thanks, baby Jesus! Wink wink... I also got some packages from
home and some other presents from other host family members. :) Then we
went to mass, and that was really awkward because it was so full of
people that they were standing. So, I had to sit in the front...where
everyone could see me. And I had no idea what was going on when it came
to hand motions, prayers, singing, etc. Talk about awkward when you just
stare blankly at the floor. But, it was still fun. We then went home and
prepared the apartment for our guests! My host aunt and uncle and four
cousins came to our place for Christmas lunch. Lunch consisted of
delicious items, like turkey, the must-have soup, salad, vegetables, and
this delicious stuffing sort of thing that I can't remember the name of.
After a lot of spending time with family, when it became late evening, I
packed my things and went to my best friend Paula's house. It was like a
second Christmas! The only sad part was that her little brother, Toni,
looked like the Grinch because the night before he had fallen and busted
his lip. A tooth even fell out... Good thing he only has baby teeth!
Unfortunately, the postal service on my end has been a pain in the butt.
First, I'm unable to send packages over 450 grams to the USA. Thank you,
terrorism. I was so excited to mail gifts home to my family and friends,
I had packed them and everything. When my host mom and I got to the post
office, they tell us that they are too heavy and that we can only send
package 450 or smaller. I thought, WHAT?! And my host mom also thought,
WHAT?! She had such a huge package for her daughter, Donata, back in
Florida. We were both thoroughly disappointed. And to be quite frank, it
killed my mood, man. But, we improvised and downsized our packages. I
sent four little packages total to the U.S. Two have gotten there, and
the other two are still lost in space. Great. When it comes
to receiving packages, the one from my grandma Bonnie still hasn't come
and it's been a month. And they like to tax you. My mom had sent an iPod
for Christmas (she feels the need to spoil me because I'm not home
anymore...). Well, we had to go to customs like three different times to
sort out the mess, just so I could get the package, and they ended up
making me pay 400 kunas, about $60, because Croatia want their tax
money. ... I hate taxes. But, other than that, everything has been great
with the postal service!
When it comes to daily life, there isn't really much to be said. It's
been my Christmas break, so everyday has been different. I went to
Salzburg for a Rotary orientation with the Austrian inbounds and that
was really amazing! I met a lot of really awesome people and I can't
wait to see them again. The only sad part was that I had had an allergic
reaction to a facial cream...and I had a swollen rash around my mouth.
So, the majority of the time I looked like a terrorist because I had a
scarf covering my mouth. And I'm sure you might be wondering about the
weather. It's really bipolar here. We have times where there is a
lot...A LOT...of snow, and then other times where it suddenly gets warm
and it all melts. I hate when it melts. Either give me snow everyday or
none at all! Geez! I also got to spend some time in Zagreb and hang out
with the other Croatia inbounds. That was good fun! Actually, speaking
of Zagreb, that was an adventure. We got lost numerous times and on my
final day there, we missed about three train rides. THAT was
frustrating, but a funny story nonetheless.
School is about to start soon, so I suppose I'll
give an account of what my life will be like again. I'll wake up and get
ready for school and walk about twenty minutes. I'll go to my first
class, then the rest of the day depends on my schedule. Some days I have
to stay for numerous class periods and others days I only have one
class. Thank you to Rotary, we only have to choose six classes to get
marks in. So, the other eleven subjects I'm not taking, I don't have to
attend. But, I do anyway, because school is more of a social gathering
of friends for me. I love my entire class. I couldn't have asked for a
better one! I take pride in my 3.E. Whoop whoop! Then on Tuesday and
Friday evenings, I have cello lessons at the music school, and on
Wednesday nights I have drama class. In my free time I enjoy walking
five minutes down the road to hang out with Paula. When we hang out I
feel so carefree and I don't worry about much. She's definitely going to
be the person that I'm going to miss the most when I leave. On the
bright side, she's going to be living with me in Florida for a month
this summer! Yippee!
Well, I'll close this journal up now. Like I said in
my previous journal, I would have a video. And I actually do! But, it's
not really worth showing. Ha, so, I'll make a better one and post it. ;)
Oh, and as for the language... Croatian is the hardest language ever.
Okay, not the hardest, but one of the hardest. While people in German or
Spanish speaking countries learn fairly quick, people learning Slavic
languages, or Hungarian, or any of those languages, really struggle
because they are completely opposite from English. The number one thing
you have to do is to try not to compare yourself with the languages
skills of kids in other countries. It's a different story for everyone.
Doviđenja! Adaline C.
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''Moj mali je opasan! Kad je mjesec mlad! Moj mali je opasan! Kada krene u
grad!'' Well, those are lyrics to an amazing Croatian song that is currently
stuck in my head. Ha! Anyway... Bok! Kako ste? Odlično sam! ... Ja bih rekla
više, ali ne znam kaj pričati! I prijatelji, nemojte se smijati! Mi znamo da
moj hrvatski je....dobar. Ahem. Yah. Moving along now! I've been here in
Croatia for six months, and it's hard to believe that I leave in four
months. Could it really be only four months? Yes, I suppose it is true, now
that I have my departure date and all. June 20th is the day my life here in
Croatia has to come to an end. Lame. But, let's talk about this past month
rather than dreading what's to come, shall we? I suppose the biggest news
would be my switch to a new family! Now I'm living with my friend Tena
Novak, who's now moja sestra. And even bigger than that, I don't reside in
Varaždin anymore! I live in a small small town about twenty minutes outside
of the city called Prelog. So how do I get to school? I ride a bus, then a
train, then I use my two feet. I'm waking up at five twenty every morning,
in which I then have to ride a small bus to a neighboring village in order
to get to the train station. From there I ride a twenty-five minute to
thirty minute train to Varaždin. With thirty minutes to spare before school
begins, my host sister, a few classmates, and I all go to the Rock Art Café
and drink ourselves some coffee or tea. Actually, I usually get some
delicious hot chocolate or iced coffee. (Yes, I understand the fact that its
freezing outside and there is the occasional morning snowfall, but a vanilla
Nescaffe shake totally hits the spot!) It's definitely a new experience to
use this system of transportation, something I never dreamed I'd get to do
in fact. I mean, who knew I'd ride trains to school for my junior year!? I
love it! Of course mistakes and scary incidents are in order when first
starting out the new system... Like riding at night after a cello lesson and
getting off at what you thought was the wrong stop because it was dark and
lifeless and looked like you were going to get murdered, so you ran back on
and ended up going all the way to the last station before the Hungarian
border, while later finding out that the first station you got off of was
the right station, it just happens to be more obscure than you thought. But,
you know, not like that happened to me or anything. Ha. Pfffft. No way. ...
It's been a month at my new place and it's hard to believe that I haven't
been living with the family that took me in for my first five months of
exchange, the ones that gave me a place to stay, food to eat, and a rack
full of life-lessons and fun memories. The Rihtarić family will always be
with me and I can't thank them enough for everything they did for me, for
the times they dealt with me when I was difficult and going through hard
times in my life. I really owe a lot to them, and I'll be forever grateful
for their accepting me as one of their own. They've provided me with so many
opportunities, so many experiences; their enthusiasm for bringing me into
their home and helping me adapt was more than I could have ever asked for!
I'm going to miss them dearly, and I look forward to staying in touch with
them and having them remain a part of my life, even after I'm home in
Florida! Volim vas!
Some really exciting things that are going to take place during my four
remaining months are as follows: SKI CAMP! The Croatian inbounds were
invited to the Austrian inbounds ski camp for a week in March! It was
actually pretty last minute decision, so unfortunately not many of us can
go. Actually, out of the eleven of us, there are only two going, one of
those people being me! I'm really excited though because I've never been
skiing before and it will DEFINITELY be an experience to remember forever!
The only downside to my story is, I'm not going on the Eurotour. After much
deciding and debate, I decided that there are other things that I want to
partake in that have more benefits for me. Like the ski camp, and also when
my family comes, I'm going to be traveling with them around Europe to visit
some other family that I have here. That's going to be really amazing! And
also, I decided to go with my church to Africa next November... So, although
I won't tour all of Europe, I'm going to be doing some other pretty amazing
things that I'm even more excited about! :) Oh yes, speaking of my family,
they come two days after my birthday, April 8th! I can't believe it! I'm so
stoked to have them meet all of my family here, my friends, see my home, how
I have been living my life, and sharing with them everything I love about
Croatia! And I'm also REALLY excited to speak Croatian while they're here!
I've been getting much much better! I strongly believe that by the time I
leave, my Croatian will be off the heezy! Yippee!
On a more serious note, the questions that always come to my mind are,
"How have I grown, how have I changed, who am I now?" I mean, it's hard for
me to see my differences. I know they are there, but I can't tell you in
what ways. But, I feel like I haven't changed, but more so I've matured. I
remember Paula Roderick talking to a group of students at the orientation
before we all departed. She said that we don't really change, it's just like
we push the fast forward button on our lives and grow at a much quicker
pace. And the way I look at things, that's exactly how I feel in my
situation. Yet, I still couldn't tell you the ways that I've grown. These
changes I probably won't be able to recognize until I return to the states,
maybe even a couple years afterwards! This exchange has shaped me in many
different ways, and I know that it doesn't end when I leave, but it
continues on throughout the rest of my life! One thing I know for sure is
that it has opened my eyes. It's helped me decide where I want to go in my
life, it's inspired me to succeed and do so many things I never would have
thought of if I hadn't come on this exchange. I've realized that life has so
much to offer! It's a story, and it doesn't end when I leave Croatia, but
rather opens to a new chapter, a new adventure, full of new opportunities
and hardships, lessons, and blessings. I know I have four months left of my
exchange, but I sometimes can't help but imagine what my life will be like
in the future. I'm ready and excited to take on whatever it brings me!
Goodness, writing these journals is always so hard, at least for me.
Mainly because so much happens each day, it's hard to choose what to write
about. So, I either write to much or not enough... Hopefully this was an
okay journal, but I will open this invitation to you. If you are curious
about Croatia, thinking of coming here for vacation or exchange, or
anything, anything at all, and you want to ask someone, FEEL FREE TO CONTACT
ME. I won't find it creepy. I promise! I LOVE talking to people about this
kind of stuff! But seriously, just add me on the Face and just let me know
who you are and that you read this journal entry or something like that! I'M
SO EAGER TO SHARE EVERYTHING WITH YOU. So do it, if you dare! Especially you
2011-2012 RYE Florida outbound class! :)
Well, I can't think of anything else to write about, or rather, I'm thinking
of everything to write about but I doubt it will hold much of any importance
to you. ;)
Tvoja prijateljica,
Adaline C.
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Moving into my new room (host mama, Tena, Neva)! RIP Rambo (the
dog!) |
Eating my favorite meal: Homemade sausage, cheese, bread, and
pickles! |
The
coolest baka in the house! |
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stray dog that visits everyday for a meal! |
Some of my amazing classmates having a photo shoot with my iPod... |
Chicken, potatoes (mashed and baked!) and of course, the salad. YUM. |
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So
I’m sitting here jamming to artists like The Tempest Trap, Foster the
People, and Two Theatre Cinema Club while reminiscing about my past two
months that I haven’t covered in my journal. I suppose I could write about
everything I’ve done, and I’m sure a lot of you would be really curious as
to what that is, but I think I should focus on the more important things
I’ve come to learn about myself. … Okay, I’ll sacrifice a paragraph or two
quickly listing the adventures I went on, because believe me, these past two
(or three… I've lost count) have been some of the most adventurous yet!
In March, I dressed up as a gypsy at school, along with the rest of the
girls in my class, for Maškare. (It’s a pretty international holiday, by the
way.) I didn’t know how to react to this, but this group of seniors came to
school dressed as four terrorists, an airplane, and the Twin Towers. Then
they flew around chasing the Towers… Also in March, from the 19th to the
26th, I spent a week in Schladming , Austria skiing with the Rotary Austria
inbounds. That was one of the BEST weeks of my life! Let’s see… What else?
April 6th was my 17th birthday! And on April 8th my mom and sister flew into
Zagreb! The next day, on April 9th, my host family threw a surprise party
for me. It. Was. AWESOME. Probably the best birthday ever so far! You know
how they got me out of the house? My host family knows a cosmetologist and
they told me that she wanted to test her makeup on skin with a lot of
freckles because the following weekend she had a bride with a lot of
freckles. I just thought I was going to be a guinea pig, suffer through a
makeover (if you know me, I NEVER wear makeup…), and then come home to be a
lazy bum! But no, I come home to a large group of people attacking me with
the word “SURPRISE!” and throwing kisses at me in every direction. I didn’t
suspect a THING. One great thing about Croatia (as there are VERY many),
they make you feel so loved on your birthday! They come shake your hand, say
“Sretan rođendan!”, and then they give you two kisses on each cheek. I’m
totally bringing that custom back with me to the States.
For two weeks in April, my family and I traveled around a small part of
Europe for a little bit, meeting people we knew in almost every city! First
we went to Budapest, where we met Carleigh McFarlane (read her journal!) ,
then drove to Salzburg where I met my buddy from Texas. We stayed the night
in Innsbruck, then drove to Bern, Switzerland and stayed with a friend for a
few days. (My favorite place in Europe so far, besides Croatia!) That’s
where my dad met us! After Bern, we went to Venice. It’s so easy to get
claustrophobic in there… Then we stayed the night in a small city on the
coast in Poreč, Croatia. The following day we went to Kruševo and stayed
with my best friend Paula and her family in their vacation home on the
coast! While staying there we climbed an awesome mountain thing, visited
Split, Zadar, and Šibenik, and witnessed my dads (Paula’s dad and my dad)
drink a little too much “apple juice”, as they liked to call it. It was
quite a sight. But I’ll admit, I enjoyed watching them two get along so
well! Just watching them sit together and boisterously laugh together at the
smallest things was memorable. From there we visited Plitvice Lakes, then
drove back home and spent Easter weekend with my host family. All in all, it
was an incredible trip. I was so happy to share my Croatian home with my
family. For spring break, Rotary took us to Dubrovnik for four days. It’s
one of the most well-known cities that is situated at the southern-most
point of Croatia. It was beautiful! The Adriatic Sea is incredible (and
extremely chilly in April, I might add). I didn’t mind so much the city, I
just wanted to sit on my favorite spot on our (us exchangers) special beach
all day and appreciate the cliffs, the mysterious cave carved into the rock
wall, and the crystal clear water lightly splashing over the edges my
favorite sitting stone. Dreamy, eh?
So, now that I’ve given a (very) brief overview of my adventures I’ve
had, it’s really time to get to the more important and meaningful affairs of
my life. Where do I even begin? I guess I’m going to sound like a broken
record at this next part, but where has the time gone? It just continues to
slip from my grasp and before I know it, a month has flown by in a blink of
an eye. My day count is roughly fifty days now, and I’ve become stressed
with the amount I want to do, to accomplish, to see, and I realize that I
have so little time to do it. Every weekend I have left here is booked; my
life is scheduled until the day I depart from this place. What a strange
feeling… It seemed like just yesterday when I was still sitting at home
because I didn’t know enough people, or places, to occupy myself. But now,
I’ll probably never get the chance to hang out with people I had planned on
hanging out with, I won’t be able to go to this place or that place, all
because my time is scarce. Why does everything have to happen at the end? It
leaves the exchange year very imbalanced! Ha! I don’t know, I just can’t
fathom what it’s going to be like when I’m home. My exchange life over,
never to be obtained again. Never to know when you’ll be back, never to know
when you’ll see these people again, or IF you’ll ever see them again. So
many unknowns, but isn’t that what it’s like when you begin your exchange?
So many questions you have and so many unknowns. But that’s what makes
exchange students unique. We go ahead and dive into the unknown, eager to
explore it and learn new things, to make those unknown things become known.
That’s what it’s all about! So, even though it’s the end of living my life
in Croatia, it’s not the end of my adventure, of my life story. It’s the
beginning of a new chapter, and I’m going to bring so much this chapter into
the next. And when I finally do leave this place, I count on the fact that
it won’t be “Goodbye”, but “Bok, vidimo se uskoro.” (Bye, we’ll see each
other soon.)
Another revelation I’ve come to realize is this; I want to do a lot in my
life, I want to travel, to see places, but there’s one key ingredient that I
want most. I want it to have a deeper, insightful meaning. I’ve traveled a
lot while living here, and I’ve seen some pretty amazing things, but I’ve
learned that places are places and things are things. I’ve never truly
enjoyed something unless it carried meaning to my life. Spending time on the
coast? Great! Spending time on the coast with my best friends and family?
Amazing! But even then, I want it to go farther. I’ve been doing a lot of
research, planning my future, you know, what I’ve recently found I like to
do, and I’ve come across some pretty amazing opportunities. As of now, I
plan on spending a summer in Cambodia volunteering at an orphanage, and
after I graduate I plan on spending at least a few months in Kenya
volunteering with kids in a music program. This upcoming November I’m
actually going to Kenya for a mission trip with my church. Now, THOSE are
the places I want to go to, the places I want to see, that’s just the thing
I want to do. I don’t really care if I was stationed in the most luxurious
city or the crappiest tribal village, being there making a difference,
helping people, sharing Christ’s light, doing something with a deeper
meaning, THAT’S my goal in life. And I’m excited to embark on all of those
journeys! I don’t really know how to explain it into words, only those
who’ve experienced it can understand, but exchange just opens your eyes and
helps you realize what more there is to life, that it doesn’t have to be the
cookie-cutter lifestyle most people tend to pursue just because they don’t
know anything else.
I’ll close this journal now with a thought I just had today. When others
go on exchange, they feel like their host country is the place they should
have been born in, that they feel they truly belong there instead of where
they actually are from. In my case, I beg to differ. The United States is my
country, but so is Croatia. But I feel like I don’t fully belong in either.
Rather, I feel like I’m a citizen of the globe, like I still have yet to
belong in numerous other places throughout my life. Because I know for a
fact I don’t belong in just one place.
Anyway, I hope to write more soon! As for now, I give you all a bok bok and
a pusa. :*
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Standing on my favorite rock in Dubrovnik with the Adriatic! |
Easter brunch with my host family in the left and Florida family on
the right! |
Me
and some of my classmates dressed up. Which gypsy is a dude? XD |
Plitvice lakes! Incredible place! |
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Blowing out my candles at my surprise party! |
My
mom, sister and I standing across the Danube in Budapest -
Parliament in back! |
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Our
Districts
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Aaron
Alayna
Alison
Alison
Alyssa
Amber
Andrea
Anna
Ashley
Austin
Autumn
Britney
Carlos
Carter
Casey
Celia
Chantal
Chelsea
Crystal
Devante
Ellen
Emily
Jennings
Joe
Kate
Katie
Mackenzie
Miranda
Quinn
Vanessa
Guido
Maria
Steven