Apr 07 / Look what I found!
By Aditi Juneja, India 07-08
Hosted in Tri-Cities, WA
As I look back, I realise I’ve come a long way and the thought makes me feel nostalgic. This one year has brought about so many wonderful changes in me that I almost feel like a new improved human being.
When I get back to my country, this one year of high school will not be credited and for this reason and many others my folks thought that it was not a good decision to be a foreign-exchange student, but I’ve gained something which is more valuable than anything I could’ve ever achieved. This experience has given me a better understanding of the world that we live in and made my life so meaningful all of a sudden. It has made me realize that we are all the same people across the globe despite the fact that we may look different.
On a personal level, I’ve become more independent and practical than I used to be. My host mom helped me understand the difference between a need and a want; my host dad always says, “Never go by what ‘They’ say.” They’ve helped me understand life on a much higher basis.
Try as I may, I can never forget the time when my grandfather back home passed away and I felt completely lost, lonely and broken. At that time, it was my host mom who said, “It is okay to cry Addie. You can come sleep with me tonight.” She encouraged me to carry on and not to give up. In order to make me feel better, she even bought me special Easter candy and Indian food.
For so many life-changing reasons like this, I can never forget the time I spent here in the United States with my host family, friends and teachers and the co-ordinators who always made sure that I was happy, safe and sound.
I’ve found a new mom & dad, teachers & friends and a whole new world that accepted me with arms wide open and loves me unconditionally. It’s hard to think that I’ll have to leave them all in just three months, but I’ll always share my great American Adventures with all my family and friends and also with my grandkids when they arrive.
Thank you PAX, AFS and YES! This was my life’s best time.
