When I arrived in the U.S., I was wearing pink glasses. They have always rested on my nose since I was born in Indonesia. My vision has always come through them—when I look, talk, eat, and even in all my dreams. America seemed so different. Nobody told me it would be easy, but honestly I have no idea it could be this hard. Surely, I am not used to this. Living in the other hemisphere is a truly a challenge for me.
As I woke up in somebody else’s bed in the morning and came out of the room, my new mom and dad would say good morning to me. Then, I went to school where I saw a lot of students who I knew nothing about. Isn’t that weird? Yes it is. That’s the hardest part of my exchange student year. It took every single part of my brain figuring out how to fit in; it’s difficult to be a part of someone’s life. I tried so many times to start talking with my classmates but it always ended up with a one-way conversation.
However that wasn’t the end. I kept trying, trying, and trying. I joined many clubs, after-school activities, sports teams, and even volunteered as a varsity basketball team manager. And guess what, I made many friends; we went to watch movies and hang out. I also attended several conferences with my classmates and friends from church. I didn’t even feel homesick; I kept myself busy. That way I found the time went by fast.
What I love the most in my exchange year has been volunteering at the nursing home. It’s nice to help. What I did in the nursing home was just some little things, but I know those mean a lot for them. I got a job to deliver letters to all the residents. I would never forget the time when I read the letters to them. It was amazing. They carefully looked at my face and listening to every single word that came out of my mouth. Seeing their faces, their expressions, their laughter, everything is just so precious. I've never done anything like this before in my country.
There are a lot of things that I found interesting in America. One of them is reading habits. Most of my classmates bring books to school, no matter boy or girl. They love to read, and I envy them since I wasn’t a big fan of books. Luckily I have a chance to notice this, so now I like to read. The other thing—Americans are hard workers. They have strong determination in achieving their missions. I learned a lot from them.
Last but not least, I want to thank to CIEE for the opportunity that I had experienced through this year. My life is changing as well as me. I become the better of me, more mature: I find myself 10 years older. The way I think, act, and feel have been improved. I see things differently; I don’t have my pink glasses anymore. It’s made me an open-minded person. I am looking forward to going home and telling these experiences to all my family and friends. I want them to throw away their pink glasses as well.
