School:
I have come back from the Bydgoszcz language camp with ease. I felt that I accomplished a significant amount toward my language learning goals and that I am on the right track. I made many friends and my blazer and I gained ten pounds! From the exam scores I now know what I need to study and what I know. I will need to take mandatory Polish language classes after school for six months, so I need to contact Rotary about this. I am excited for school to begin on September fourth and am even more excited to continue on the rigorous language learning structure that the camp in Bydgoszcz has made standard.
Home:
My host family has made my transition amazing. They answer all of my questions and are some of the sweetest, and most accepting people I have met in my life. I have not had any trouble with my host family. They have established rules and I feel completely safe in this environment. I have no trouble getting what I need daily and my host sister is showing me around the city. I love that they speak Polish to me and are patient when I have no idea what they are saying.
Rotary Assignments:
To my knowledge my Rotary assignment is to attend a meeting the first Monday of each month and to bring my monthly report. I plan to buy a calendar this weekend so I can be sure to stay on top of these assignments. I am also waiting on information emails from Rotary about the Youth Exchange trips. When I receive these emails I will take the appropriate steps. So far I don’t have many assignments and I am handling my responsibilities well.
Problems:
Currently my problems during exchange are few and far between. I have not run into a problem that wasn’t solved almost immediately. I am feeling confident and bardzo dobrze about things generally. I don’t have much home sickness at all so far except for missing and worrying about my dad. For the most part I am keeping myself much too busy to miss anything from home.
Goals:
My goals at the start of my exchange were to learn as much Polish as possible, to visit the major historical and art museums in Poland, to learn how to cook a traditional Polish meal, and to keep up with journaling. So far my host grandmother is planning to teach me how to make pierogi, I have already been to some major museums, I have completed an intense language camp, and I have been journaling and noting in the evenings. So, although I have not had to adjust my goals yet, I feel like I am accomplishing what I need to. I hope to improve my goals as well as my monthly reports.