Something different

Voor Engels heb ik een essay moeten schrijven over een event 'that shaped you as the person you are now'. Het onderwerp was dus makkelijk gekozen en dit is het uiteindelijke resultaat.

August 4

“So, what are you going to tell the rest of the family about me?” “I am going to tell them how Americanized you are. Don't laugh, you really are. You talk to everybody, you just do things that you have never really done before. You are just like an American.”

There I am. The shy Dutch girl that is not that shy anymore. That Dutch girl that is been told that she has been Americanized. After 9 months of being, acting and living like an American, my parents have noticed that I have changed. And I have noticed it too. They notice how outgoing I am, while before I was the quiet girl. They hear how easy it is for me to speak a different language, when I struggled before. They notice how easy it is for me to arrange things, while before I needed one of them to help me. They noticed I care less about what people think of me. They also notice how different America is from the Netherlands. They notice how far everything actually is, while I am thinking, 15 minutes is not that far. They notice how different the people are, while I am thinking, this is how the people live. They notice that whatever you buy, the cost is not what is listed on the price tag, while I am prepared for the taxes and tips. They notice that people here have an American accent, while I am thinking that they have a funny accent. For me, it all is normal. For them, it is all new and scary.

It is 20 months later and I am where I am supposed to be. Quite different than other 18 year old teenagers, who are enjoying their life in their own country and their own life; I am 18 years old and I live in another country, speak another language, and live like an American citizen. I am one of the more than 8,000 who choose to be send away from home, to live in another country for at least 11 months, with Rotary.

“So, what do you want to do after you are done with High School?” “Well, I have been thinking about this for quite a while and I'm going to be a exchange student. I do not know where, how and when, but I know I will be gone after I am finished with High School.”

It began right after my sister came back from Canada, where she lived for 7 months. I was 13 at the time and enjoying my first year of High School. I thought it was the coolest thing she ever had done and of course like a little sister, you want whatever your older sister does. So, three years later when the question came during my last year of High School, I was prepared. I said I wanted to go abroad.

Friends of my parents are members of Rotary in the Netherlands and they told us about the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. It is a High School program, where students attend school for a school year. Students will have 2 to 4 different host families to live with. The purpose of multiple families is that Rotary wants to give students a different view point on the culture of your country. On September 19, 2009, for the very first time I met with exchange students. On this day prospective students were allowed to ask what it is as well as obtain information to be an exchange student and you could apply for the program. I applied and got an invitation for another meeting in October. A month later my dad and I traveled again to Nieuwegein, in the middle of the Netherlands. This time we were divided in different groups and each group had a different activity every half hour. We had discussions, had to arrange a concert, and talk about what we needed to be succesful for a year abroad. At last we had an interview with a ROTEX'er, someone who already went on exchange, and a interview with a Rotarian, somebody who is member of a Rotary club. During my ROTEX interview, I had to stand up a stool, on my heels, and sing the National Anthem. Lucky for me I passed all the activities and both interviews. Two weeks later I got an email from Rotary that told me that I was going to be a Rotary Youth Exchange Student. With that email, I received an invitation for a weekend with the new Rotary Youth Exchange outbounds for the year 2010/2011. Also, I had to go and introduce myself to the club who was going to sponsor me.

“I think you have courage. Courage to go abroad for a whole year and leave everything behind. Not many people can do that. I am proud of you, I could not do this.”

Rotary is found in more than 200 countries all over the world. It started as a business club, only for men. A group of business men would meet every week for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Now, more than a 100 years later, Rotary is for everyone. There are clubs everywhere and they meet with breakfast, lunch or dinner and include men and women. They have Youth Programs, such as Short and Long term Exchange Programs, Interact, a Rotary club for High School students, Rotaract, for college students and ambassadorial scholarships. The main goal of Rotary is to end polio and they are close. Polio remains in only 4 countries, but every Rotary club in the world raises money for polio vaccinations to eradicate this disease.

Throughout the 2009/2010 school year, I had 5 different orientations about the Long Term Youth Exchange Program. Every time they would told us, the 33 new outbounds from the Netherlands, things we cannot do, cannot say or what we should do when we are in trouble. On March 27, we finally heard where we would go for our year abroad. Prior to this I had to put on my 34-pages-form what my top 3 countries was. My top 3 changed over the months. When I first started with the Rotary Program, my first choice was Australia. When I found out I was too old for Australia, I changed it to the United States. After talking to a ROTEX'er, who went to Canada, I then changed my first choice to Canada. I wanted to be in a English speaking country, just because it seemed like it was more familiar than another country where they speak no English at all. After all my deliberations, my top three were as follows: Canada, United States and South-Africa. On that fateful day of March 27, 2010, I heard I was going to United States. Which of the 50 states, I wouldn't know for sure until June 25.

“Why did you choose to go to a High School, when you can choose to be an au-pair?” “I wanted to go to a High School, because you get so many different experiences. You get to see different people every day, you can really build up good relationships, you get to see another High School in another country. You really get to live like a teenager in another country, and when you are an au-pair, you don't really get to interact with a wide range of people. I just want the whole experience.”

After March 27 I finally started to prepare. I started spending more time with my friends and family. I started buying presents for all my host families and for the other people I was going to meet during my year. Within two weeks, everybody knew I was going abroad for a year. Where was the constant question I was asked. I had an idea, but was too afraid to share it. When I came home from getting groceries with my dad on June 25, I had a strange feeling that I had to look in my e-mailbox. And there it was. It was finally conformed that I was going to Arizona. That I was going to live in Gilbert. That I was going to Highland High School. That I was going to live with Canadians named the Dawsons for 4 months. I finally could start applying for my visa and researching about Arizona, Gilbert and my school. I finally could buy my ticket and organize all kind of Farewell-parties. The month of July was pure craziness. I spent two weeks of July in France, with my parents and younger brother. After I came back I had two more weeks in the Netherlands before I would fly on August 4. I spent a day here, a day over there, and every night I was with my friends. I know I had to start packing earlier, but I started on the very last day, August 3rd. Actually, it was after dinner, and I remember I was frustrated because my suitcase was over weight. But at 11:30 pm, my suitcase was closed and everyone went to bed.

“So, what do you think you are going to miss the most?” “I do not know yet. I will find out in a couple months and then I will tell you what I miss the most about the Netherlands.”

August 4. At 7 am, there I was. With my Rotary blazer, my orange polo and comfortable jeans and the people I love the most around me, at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. At 7:30, it was time to say goodbye. We promised each other that we would Skype, talk and email every week. That never happened. I did not use Skype until the beginning of January. When people ask me why I did not Skype earlier with my family or friends, I cannot answer that question. We did email. Only after a while, I was the only one who would send emails and never got an answer back from friends, so I stopped doing that.

I flew U.S. Airways, from Amsterdam to Philadelphia I was not comfortable at all. I sat in the aisle and the girl next to the window had to go to the bathroom every single hour. And the flight was about 9 hours. The flight from Philadelphia to Phoenix, however, was wonderful. I sat at the window and I finally fell asleep. After more than 17 hours of traveling, I finally landed in Phoenix, Arizona. My first thought after I walked out of the airplane was: 'Oh dear heaven, what is this awful heat?' Apparently, it was a 120 degrees outside, and I felt like I was dying. Luckily, it was for 10 seconds that I was actually 'outside'.

"Wait! So Neverland is a real country?" "What is Neverland?"

When I walked out of the gate, there was a group waiting for me. Twelve people, who were all really excited. They were all screaming: 'There she is, there she is! Hold op the sign, come on! You are so tall! How do I pronounce your name?' I was so overwhelmed with everything. I was up for almost 24 hours, everything was so different, outside it was so hot and those people were just so excited. I just wanted to go to bed and go sleep for a very long time. They all hugged me and gave me pins, T-shirts and more hugs. They took a picture and after we got my luggage we were off to my first host families house, the Dawsons.

After a week of sightseeing in Gilbert, school finally started. School started at 7:30 instead of 8:30 or even later, depending on the day. So it meant I had to get up early and I am definitely not a morning person. I took the school bus with my host sister instead of riding my bike as I had done at home. Each class lasted 55 minutes and every day I had the same classes as the day before, instead of having 50 minute classes every other day. I had entire lunch hour, instead of 20 minute breaks after every 3 hours. I just had to go with the flow.

"We miss you."

After a couple weeks, I finally got to meet the other Rotary Youth Exchange Students from my district. Each country is divided up in districts. The district I am in, is the Northeast of Arizona. There are 9 other Exchange Students, who came with the Rotary. Two are from Brazil, one is from Paraguay, Ecuador, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, Austria and of course the Netherlands. Together we are a crazy group. Everybody gets along with each other and that is the greatest thing of all. We are spread from Flagstaff to Gilbert. At orientation we got information about all the weekends we would spend together. Weekends to Tucson, the Grand Canyon, Los Angeles/Hollywood, Heber and last, but not least, New Orleans. In between that we would meet each other at birthdays, parties or just shopping/lunch dates.

The weekends are different. I can not work, because of my visa, so my Friday and Saturday nights are totally empty, for the very first time in years. I also have my Sundays free, whereas before I would spend every Sunday on the soccer field, playing and watching the game. However, I have enough to do here: sleep, community service, Rotary functions, hang out with family or friends or travel. I have seen a lot here. Some people are surprised when they hear of my Arizona travels. Sometimes, they even haven't been to these places, and they are born and raised in Arizona. I think I have seen about 90% of Arizona. I have been a couple times to California, and as I write this I am in Utah.

“What was your first impression of Arizona?” “My very first impression, when I flew over the Valley was it is so big and it looked so cool from above. I saw the many swimming pools. Of course I looked up Gilbert and Phoenix on Google Earth, but it is different when you see it with your own eyes.”

Over the months I had some stupid questions and comments from others. 'Do you have Internet in the Netherlands?' 'Do you guys have television and computers?' 'I am sure you smoke weed every other day.' 'Is it true that you wear clogs or those wooden shoes?' 'Do you live in a windmill?' 'What do you speak when you are from Holland? Holish?' Yes, we have Internet, television and computers in the Netherlands. We are just as civilized as you are. This area has been inhabited since the ancient times, in the specific area we now call the Netherlands. No, we don't smoke weed every other day. It turns out that only 12% of the Dutch smoke weed regularly, against the 28% of the Americans, tells a Dutch resource center. No, we do not wear wooden shoes, only some people like my dad. Windmills are used for another purpose than to live in. Back then, we used them to make bread and to pump water to another place to create more land. Now we use windmills for energy. This is what it makes complicated: I live in Noord-Holland, which is one of the 12 provinces of the Netherlands. We call ourselves the Dutch and we speak Dutch. Most people get confused by all those different names for the Dutch.

What I miss about the Netherlands, is the way of living. Of course I am happy to be here, but after a couple months, I realized how lucky I am to be Dutch. I realized how free I am in the Netherlands. I can go wherever I want, whenever I want and however I want. If I want to go get ice cream, I take my bike and go get ice cream. If I want to spend the day in Amsterdam, I am free to take the bus, the train and at last the light rail. When I want to visit my friend who lives at the other side of the Netherlands, I am free to go. Here, I feel I am limited. I have to ask for rides. What I totally do not like, is that I can not bike because it is dangerous and most of the time it is too far to bike, especially in the heat. There is no dependable public transportation that will be on time, or sometimes is just not there. After being in the United States for so long, some dreams that I had came true and some did not. I saw pretty American houses, in Prescott, the big Semi-trucks with the big noses, who drive all over the country, I saw all the other big cars. I saw small towns, ranches, the people. I saw cowboys, saloons and gunfights. I saw the famous highway Route 66, Highway 163, with Monument Valley on the background. I got to attend an American Prom, American High School, I got to be a member of an American Soccer team, I got to go to camps and stay in cabins, I got to be the tourist. All of my dreams came from the American movies, the ones that they show us on the television. The only dream that did not came true, is that I have not found my perfect American Dream Boy. Yet.

“I want to take you somewhere, but you have been traveling so much. Tell me where you have been, so I can find a place where you have not been.” “Ok, let me think for a moment. I have been to Tucson a couple times, the San Xavier Mission, Tombstone, Sedona, Payson, Prescott, Flagstaff, Wickenberg, Salt River, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Tolleson, Page, Grand Canyon, the Navajo Reservation, Tonto National Forest, Petrified Forest, Sunset Crater, Great Falls, Wupatki National Monument, Hubbell Trading Post, Canyon de Chelly, Pipe Springs National Monument, Glen Canyon Dam, Navajo Bridge, baseball games, ice hockey games, basketball games, State Fair, the Renaissance Festival and a bunch of museums. And I have also been out of the state. I have been to Las Vegas, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, San Diego, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Palm Springs, Disneyland Anaheim, Six Flags, Boulder Utah, Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon, Zion National Forest, Mexican Hat and the Valley of the Gods.” “Have you been to the Zoo yet?” “Yes.”

My year is not over yet. I am in my ninth month of my exchange and have still 3 months to go. I fly back to the Netherlands on July 23. For the record, I will be 13 days short of a year. I have the best time of my life so far. Even though there were hard days, where you miss you old life with the normal things, there is always something that cheers you up. Only so many days before I see my parents again. Or only so many days that I am going to San Francisco. Or just a good friend who cheers you up and tells you it is normal to be homesick. After I finish my American High School, I am going to travel some more. I should say a lot more! I am going on a month long tour that starts in Denver, Colorado. We bus to the West coast and when we are done there, we cross over to the East coast via Texas, Louisiana into Florida. We end our tour in Chicago. After tour I have 8 more days to spend in Arizona. Days to say goodbye to my life here in Arizona. When I go back, everything will be the same, but different. They say I am going to get a reverse culture shock. I am ready to experience another culture shock.

August 4. The day my life changed and my new life began. This day I will always remember.