This article was originally published in the Cass City Chronicle.

By Abidin Karademir

The following story is a first person account of getting acquainted with America, including life in the rural thumb of Michigan, penned by an 18-year-old exchange student from Turkey. Unlike most of his peers, Abidin Karademir has faced not only the challenge of polishing his English skills, but also experiencing culture shock without the benefit of his sight. Interestingly, his host parents, Mark and Betsy Martin of Cass City are also blind.

I couldn’t believe the time had come! All the preparation, and now it was time to leave. My mother and I were at the airport in Istanbul. I was feeling apprehensive but yet very excited about coming to America. Although my mother was in tears, she was also very proud of me for being one of just a few who were chosen to take on this challenge. I was ready for all the new experiences just ahead of me, and now it was time for farewells.

After a long flight and bus ride, I eventually arrived in Washington, D.C. for orientation. The purpose of orientation was to prepare students for the [the YES program] exchange year. Almost immediately I was aware of the cultural differences and the disappointment that my English was not nearly as good as I would have liked. I quickly learned how much different American food is from what I had always known. Wow! What a culture shock!

After 3 days of orientation it was time to meet my host family. I was greeted at the airport by my area coordinator, representative and of course my host father, Mark. I was so surprised when he said “hello” to me in Turkish. This made me feel that this family was very interested in having me stay with them. After we got home I met my host mother, Betsy and my host sister, Jennifer. They also made me feel very welcome. They showed me to my room and then other family members arrived and were introduced, especially my host brother, Paul. In the evening, I presented traditional Turkish gifts to my host family. This day was really unforgettable!

During the first couple of months I found myself gradually getting used to the changes in culture and language. I was amazed as to how quickly I adjusted to my new family. This was a very important time period because my host father spent a great deal of time with me teaching me new words, learning more about the culture, discussing our favorite sports teams and just getting to know each other.

While it was still summer I had the opportunity to do fun things with family and also to ride a horse, which was one of my goals.

As a blind person, it was necessary for me to spend time at my school before the beginning of the school year so I could become familiar with the location of my locker, classrooms, cafeteria and other important facilities. I sure was nervous because I didn’t know anybody and the school was so much different than what I had known in Turkey.

Finally, school did begin, but I found this to be very difficult because I could not communicate very well and I was not making any friends. Because of these concerns, my confidence was very low. To make the transition easier, the school provided a para-pro who helped me with translation, communication with teachers, homework assignments, etc.

Something that has also helped is being that my host parents are also blind, they are very understanding and know about some of the technologies which help to instill confidence and also helping me to become more independent.

Some of the most important technologies include a screen reader which allows us to use a computer. We are able to use e-mail, surf the internet, and even access Facebook. We are also able to use the iPhone, even though it has a touchscreen. Navigation has also become much easier because of talking GPS. I sure do love this technology!

In October, I flew to Oregon for a week workshop with other disabled students in the exchange program. The purpose of the workshop is to promote the fact that, in spite of varying disabilities, we students were able to work together and, where necessary, learn about those things which can be accomplished independently as well.

This helped my confidence while enjoying the activities that they had for us. I also enjoyed renewing friendships with old acquaintances and making new friends. I am still in contact with some of these students.

Also in the fall, I went on a couple of culture trips with my exchange program. This has helped me with my understanding of American culture and its history.

In December I celebrated my 18th birthday. This birthday was absolutely awesome because my Turkish family was able to participate with a webcam and Skype. With me as a translator, the 2 families were able to converse at least a little bit. They were able to watch me open gifts given to me by my host family and also got to see the cake. I really cannot describe how this made mefeel! I never dreamed that both families would actually share this happy time together!

Soon after, it was Christmas break and some well-deserved time away from school. On Christmas Eve day we had lots of family over with more than enough food to eat. Also there were many little ones to keep the place lively. In the evening we eachopened one small gift. Then on Christmas day we just had the immediate family with us. We opened the rest of our presents. We had more laughter and fun while enjoying this special day together.

I now realize how important Christmas is in American culture. We ended the year with more good food, family time and watching movies. 2011 had certainly turned out to be one of the most educational and interesting years of my life so far. The new year dawned with me having feelings of restlessness inside. I was beginning to feel more confident about myself and my ability to do more on my own; he culture was not so strange to me. I felt like I no longer needed help going from class to class and to the cafeteria. There have been some changes in my class schedule which have permitted me now to participate in gym class, which I enjoy very much. I am now starting to make friends and beginning to feel better about school here. I so much appreciate my host family and ASSE representative who have understood and supported me through these important changes. I am so much happier!

In conclusion, I just want to say what an experience this has been thus far. I am looking forward to more new challenges including those involving culture and even though I know my English is much better, I know how significant it is for me to learn it even more completely.

I know I must soon go back to Turkey, but I would like to return to the United States and attend a university. The challenges have been great, but rewards are even greater as a result of being an exchange student.