Crystle Siegel

2012-13 Outbound to Thailand

Hometown: Clermont, FL

School: East Ridge High School

Sponsor: District 6980, FL

Host: District TBA, Thailand

Crystle's Bio

Ever since I took a creative writing course last year, I haven't had much trouble writing essays and such. But these ones for Rotary are fairly difficult because I have to write about myself. And I've been putting this one off all of last month so I should probably start this new year off right by not procrastinating. Even if it is the second of January not the first. So here goes. สวัสดี! Hi everybody, my name is Crystle Siegel and I'm going to be spending next year, my senior year, in Thailand! I am so excited for this, I feel like it won't come fast enough, yet it will come way too fast and before I realize what's happening I'll be in Thailand thinking what we've been told everyone thinks: I wish I learned the language better. I'm pretty sure I'll be thinking that. Just hope I'm not hopeless when it comes to sounding out my Thai. I'm 16 and am currently attending East Ridge High School in Clermont. I have a brother and a sister. Being the oldest, I've always wondered what having an older sibling would be like. None of us have ever been on our own without a parent or one of the others for more than a week or so, so this will be different for all of us. Our parents are very supportive of us and this is no exception. Both of them wish they had the opportunity to do something like this when they were younger. In my free time, I read, play video games, work on websites, talk to friends, practice karate, listen to music, look up things that interest me online, design and sew dresses - occasionally -, and do other things. I really became interested in technology last summer and it still interests me, especially web design. I've been in karate since 5th grade, stopping when we moved to Italy because no one taught the style Go-Ju Ryu out there but started back up once we found a dojo out here. I love karate and it's definitely something I plan to do throughout my life, anywhere I go. I've already told my parents if there's no schools in Thailand for my style, I'll take up another form but will certainly be sure to practice Go-Ju as well! I'm interested in so many things it feels impossible to do and learn about them all. In school, I really like web design and while chemistry can be interesting, it's confusing too. There are so many other classes I would love to take but probably won't be able to. That's one thing I'm excited for as an exchange student, I really like learning about and trying different things but sometimes I feel like I don't have the ability to try the things I want to but being an exchange student will allow me try so many things I never even dreamed of! As I read/hear/learn more and more about Thailand, I just get more excited and cannot believe I'm going to be able to do this. Some of my friends think I'm sort of crazy to do this and say they would never leave their family and friends for a year but I'm looking forward to this more than you can imagine. Some people tell me 'You better hope they speak English!' but I actually hope they only speak a bit. Just enough for anything essential that I have absolutely no clue how to say in Thai. Language-wise, I'm not going overseas in hopes of finding people who speak English, I'm going in hopes of learning a new language and being able to switch from one to the other effortlessly. But I am a little unsure. A new language is one thing, a whole new alphabet with it is another! So thanks again Rotary! I'm so excited for this and am definitely looking forward to the year ahead!

Crystle- Outbound to Thailand