Inspiration

 On Facebook I am in several groups for Exchange Students. People post different things all the time. Some people post questions, advice, quotes, and just random comments. It is good because all of us are going through the same experience. Like we always say "Because all exchange student love other exchange students" we are all one big family spread throughout the world. All supporting one another no matter what. I went on to read the latest comments today, and came across these two comments. They are spot on, so I thought I would share them with all of you.

"How do you know what is a dream if you never accomplished one? How do you know what is an adventure if you never took part in one? How do you know what is anguish if you never said goodbye to your family and friends with your eyes full of tears? How do you know what is being desperate, if you never arrived in a place alone and could not understand a word of what everyone else was saying? How do you know what is diversity if you never lived under the same roof with people from all over the world? How do you know what is tolerance, if you never had to get used to something different even if you didn’t like it. How do you know what is autonomy, if you never had the chance to decide something by yourself? How do you know what it means to grow up, if you never stopped being a child to start a new course? How do you know what is to be helpless, if you never wanted to hug someone and had a computer screen to prevent you from doing it? How do you know what is distance, if you never, looking at a map, said “I am so far away”? How do you know what is a language, if you never had to learn one to make friends? How do you know what is patriotism, if you never shouted “ I love my country” holding a flag in your hands? How do you know what is the true reality, if you never had the chance to see a lot of them to make one. How do you know what is an opportunity, if you never caught one? How do you know what is pride, if you never experienced it for yourself at realizing how much you have accomplished? How do you know what is to seize the day, if you never saw the time running so fast? How do you know what is a friend, if the circumstances never showed you the true ones. How do you know what is a family, if you never had one that supported you unconditionally? How do you know what are borders, if you never crossed yours, to see what there was on the other side? How do you know what is imagination, if you never thought about the moment when you would go back home? How do you know the world, if you have never been an exchange student?" -Jakub Wrobel

And just about an Exchange Student and the experience they go through, basically what I am living right now.

"Exchange is about learning.

It's not as easy as learning whatever is taught in school though.

It's about learning how to listen, how to speak, how to think. Learning who you are, who your friends are and the type of people you want as friends. Learning how to trust your innermost feelings, and how to find these feelings in the first place. Learning what's important to you and what you really don't give a damn about.

Exchange is about learning how to tolerate, how to accept, how to like and how to love. Learning how to give as you receive and how to trust that everything will even itself out on it's own. Learning that your mom and dad do have the right answers sometimes, and that your kid sister isn't such a dumb kid anymore. Learning that sometimes a kiss isn't just a kiss, sometimes it means more, sometimes it means less.

Exchange is about learning how to achieve, how to succeed, how to accomplish.

Learning how to not come in first place and still be proud and how to come in last and admit that you could have done better. Learning that large parties don't necessarily mean a good time. Learning that loneliness doesn't go away in a crowd, and that sometimes it's ok to be on your own a Friday or Saturday night. Learning that your lunchtime crowd doesn't constitute your popularity, and that popularity is all a matter of perspective.Learning that boredom is simply laziness of the mind, and watching 3 hours of TV isn't quality relaxation time.

Exchange is about learning how to pack a bag and to pack away a room full of way too much stuff.

Learning how to motivate yourself and how to motivate others. Learning how to swear in all different languages of all the other exchange students. Learning that people probably like you a whole lot more than they'll ever tell you and that it's your responsibility to make sure your friends know how much you appreciate them.Learning how to miss people enough to not stick them in the best, and how to not miss them so much that it keeps you from moving into the future. Exchange is about learning.. Learning how to live life. " -Anonymous