Summer!

So, I totally forgot to tell you guys this, but it is officially summer here in Bolivia! I got out of school November 6th, and Summer lasts until the 1st or 2nd week of February I believe.  This is so great for me, because I will finally have more time to get out of the house and take classes and volunteer if I wish. Also, our Rotary trip around Bolivia is this summer. It starts the 2nd of December and lasts until the 16th. That is the reason I am making this post. For those two weeks, I will most likely not be on either this blog or my Facebook pages (Photo & Blog Pages), but if I manage to put credit on my phone, I will post slight updates to my Facebook page every other day. Another update on that, is that some people who don't have Facebok have told me that they have been having difficulty seeing my photos. Because of this, I am planning on opening up a separate photography portfolio on a different site. This site will include all my photography and not just my photos from Bolivia, and there will still be some photos that can only be seen on Facebook, but I hope this makes things a little more convenient for all of you. This site will probably be up and running in two weeks to a month. It will take a while as I need to find a site with reliable upload speed that will upload my size pictures. Anyways, I hope everybody is having a great summer/winter/day :) and  I will make sure to update both my Facebook pages and this blog following our trip around Bolivia in December! Thanks for reading!

P.S. My 18th birthday is this month! :D :D :D    <3 November 26th

Facebook Blog: https://www.facebook.com/MeghansBolivianExchange

Photography Page: https://www.facebook.com/MeghanRuthAnnaPhotography

Email Contact: Meghan.95.Dushko@gmail.com

Quick Blurb!

Here is just a quick little note, if you would like to get email updates whenever there is a new blog post, please comment on any post and let me know, or email Meghan.95.Dushko@gmail.com. I can also email people when there are new photos up on the Facebook pages, thanks!

New Blog?!?

Don't freak out just yet, but I have a new blog now. This new blog is located on Facebook for the convenience of my 400+ friends on there, but I will still post on here every time there is a big trip, or rotary meeting, etc.. However, if you are looking for more pictures or more detailed accounts of my days, etc., go look at the following pages on Facebook. I'm pretty sure you can see them even if you don't have a Facebook, but I am not sure.

Meghan Ruth Anna Photography: https://www.facebook.com/MeghanRuthAnnaPhotography

Meghan's Rotary Exchange to Bolivia: https://www.facebook.com/MeghansBolivianExchange

2 de Noviembre

Hola!

I know it has been a long time since I posted, but here I am! A lot has been going on, so I have 

been really busy and have not had time to write. Also, I have a kind of bad memory so Im not

 really good at recording past things. But I am going to start off blogging again, starting at the 

date November 2, 2013.

Yesterday was November 2, which here is known as Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. 

Just in case you don't know, the Day of the Dead is a date in the Catholic faith which takes 

place on November 2, and is also known as All Souls Day. The day before, November 1st, is 

known as All Saints Day.  On Dia de los Muertos, families visit the tombs of their dead friends 

and family sometimes with food, etc. Often people burn candles and bring pictures of the dead 

and lay them out in front of the grave. I dont have too many details about Day of the Dead, but I

 do know it is very important to many Catholic families here in Bolivia and the streets and 

cemeteries were crowded yesterday, and many families were busy. My family got up early, and

 my mom left the house at about 8 to go make a flower arrangement to put around her fathers 

grave. At around 10, she returned with her niece, and we then went to the cemetery to set the 

flowers, and at the point we organized the flowers that were already there and set the new 

ones. 

My host mom and her niece prayed for a moment and then we left to retrieve my host dad 

before going to have lunch with my host aunt, her kids, and my family. It is normal on Day of the

 Dead, to have lunch or dinner with your family. Some people even bring the food to the

cemetery. After lunch, we went home to rest, and at about 4:30, we returned to the cemetery

 where we stayed eating, sitting, and talking around the grave as some candles burned until 

about 8:30 more or less. At the end, they left the candles burning and my family prayed for 

about 3 minutes or so before we went to eat dinner and return to the house.

Weekly Blog Post Official 1 :) - Trinidad/Michael's House/ Soccer/ Etc.

So guys Im going to try a new way of blogging - again...
Im going to choose the following categories, and Im going to write something about each one once a week either on Sunday or Monday.
Categories: School, Family/Friends, Food (If I can remember anything), Rotary/Special Events, Clubs/Outside of School Activities
I may add more but thats all I have for now. Anyways, here is my blog post for Sept 20 2013 - Sept 29 2013 ( A little longer span than it will normally be).
School:
School is great! I still dont really do much in my classes but it is a great place to see al my friends if I cant outside of school, plus it really helps me improve my spanish. I am also playing soccer at my school which is fun. I havent played too much, only practiced twice and I play in E.F. but still. Today there is supposed to be a game but I don't know when and I have spanish class today so I dont know if I can go. My favorite classes at school right now are English/Spanish and maybe Biology. Its hard to decide when I dont understand everything but our English/Spanish teacher is awesome.

Family/Friends:
So I haven't been with my own family for the past week because they went out of town for a week but on September 19th, I went to my friend Michael's house to stay. I stayed there until yesterday. And from September 20th - September 23/24th I went to Trinidad, Beni, Bolivia with his family and my friend Kate's family. Trinidad was awesome because I saw all sorts of cool animals and the great culture of Bolivia. I saw many cool animals and even rode motortaxis. The greatest part of that was having time to bond with my friends. When we returned, I spent Tuesday with other exchange students in Plaza Principal in Santa Cruz. There we went for ice cream at VacaFria - which was awesome <3, and we went to burger king, and then we got pizza (Special exchange student diet ;) ). On Thursday, I also went with Kate's family and Michael's family to Expocruz, a big thing kind of like the NY state fair with all sorts of vendor booths and such. It was pretty cool but we only saw like 30% of it :P
Rotary/Special Events & Clubs and Activities
Not much to say for these, so I put the categories together. I haven't really done anything for Rotary this week but I think I am supposed to have a meeting tomorrow and in about two weeks I am going with 18 other exchange students to San Javier for a flower festival and to see missionary churches of Bolivia and fun stuff like that. Im planning on asking my counselor about doing more stuff with Rotary here too, because the rotarians are awesome but I feel like Im not a big part of it yet. For clubs/activities, I havent really done much this week but normally I have soccer on Thursday and Sunday. I didnt go Thursday because I was at Expocruz, but yesterday there was some sort of opening for a championship I am supposed to be a part of. Yesterday 1 team play and then there was some sort of "parade" where we walked maybe 55 meters and then stood there while some rewards for something were presented. I didnt play yesterday but apparently the championship/ competition begins next week and there are 18 teams or so. Pretty excited for that.

I dont have much more to say right now, but as usual if you have any questions feel free to ask. Also, I will start posting in Spanish again in about 2 weeks :)


Weekly Pictures (There are a lot more but they werent loading, to see more check my photo page or personal page on Facebook ) :

Hiatus Explanation and Extension

Hey guys! I know this probably isn't the post you wanted, but whatever. I know I've had a hiatus from posting and I know everybody who comes here on a regular basis is dying to know whats up, but exchange is one of the most unexplainable experiences in life. I've only been here a month, but im already starting to feel the things every exchanger says they feel and more. It's so impossible to put into writing how exchange is and there are so many things I can't say. Exchange gets so personal and so deep and it becomes a part of you, whether you've been abroad for a month, 2 months, 6 months, or whether you've reached the end, etc.
Don't worry, I'm fine, but I do need to take another hiatus. Therefore there will be no promised posts until at the very least October, and then I may stop writing. Im thinking of doing youtube vlogs that I will share on here.

Anyways, please don't expect any further posts until at the earliest the end of the month or beginning of October. I may post if I feel I need it, but I feel I need to think for a while before I figure out how to explain all that I cannot.

Love you guys! Chao!

Cochaaaa este fin de semana and likes/dislikes!

Hey guys!
I wanted to get a post in, so I figured I would come up with something quickly because I wont be posting much this weekend because I'm going to Cochabamba Thursday - Sunday and I leave tomorrow at 5AM. Ill try to post photos of Cochabamba on my Facebook and on here when I get back though. Anyways, here are my likes and dislikes and things I miss/ things I dont miss:

Things I miss:
Complete comprehension of what is being said to me
Being able to talk at a normal speed in a language im familiar with
Soccer - I play soccer here but not on a regular basis and girls don't really play much here. :P

Driving - I kind of miss it but really really dont, because the driving here is insane!

Things I don't miss:
Drama all the time - there is drama here, but not like in my school in the US. If there is drama here it's basically a week of awkward silence or something like that, but not the random fights like 2 times a week that happen in the US.

Lack of stuff to do - in the US, all I did was school or sports, which dont get me wrong, I loved, but here there is always something to do, either with family or friends

Driving - look above


Things I love:

The food
My friends
MOST (definitely not all) Parties and Family Events
Rotary
Weather - Love/Hate - I Like hot weather but I feel like Im going to die half of the time and its not even summer here yet
My dogs
Spanish - Beautiful language, but way to many ways to conjugate things. If I can ever go a conversation without having to stop and think about past-tense, I will do an imaginary back-flip.
Soccer - I love playing with some boys (I love soccer anywhere with anybody) but I hate how little (amount) the girls play here

Things I hate:
Weather - refer above
Spanish - refer above
Specific actions by specific people
Soccer - refer above

Theres obviously a lot more to say, but I also obviously didnt say it, but make sure to let me know what you want to hear about..

Quick exchange fact:
There are two clubs that do a lot together, Santa Cruz and Amboro (my club). My club has 6 people, and we are: 5 US (2 New York, 1 California, 1 Michigan, 1 Alaska), and 1 Canada. Not sure how many in the other club, but in my Spanish class, there are 2 New York, 1 Alaska, 1 California, 3 Canada, 1 Denmark, 2 France, 1 Belgium. In the other class there is 1 (2?) France, 1 Texas, 1 Canada, and not sure if any others.. :P

School in Bolivia

So, I had a small amount of time to write a post today, so I decided to write about school here in Bolivia because a lot of people ask about it.

Anyways, my first day of school was on Wednesday August 21st.
My first day I was super confused and nervous but being the exchange student I am in Bolivia, everyone was very welcoming, and a little creepy...

My school day starts at 8AM-12PM and then we have siesta, a nap/lunch (break from school). After siesta, we go back to school 2:30PM - 6PM. It's a really long day and I don't really do anything but I love school.
Going to school and getting to see all my friends and just talk is awesome. I'm not really used to having too many friends or people my age to talk to in the US, so its great here. I do have like 2 people from my school in the US that I can talk to, but here there are at least 8 people from school I'm comfortable talking to all the time.

Anyways, we dont do much in school, because that's just kind of how it is, but here is what we are supposed to be doing (what I kind of understood :P):

English (Spanish class for me and the other student in my school, Michael)
Philosophy, History, Geography, Civics
P.E.
Chemistry, Physics
Mathematics
Music
Computer Class

I'm sure there are more classes, but I dont pay that much attention... Well I try, but I really cant. I did have a full out conversation with my secondary principle yesterday, who does not know much English and yells at Michael and I if we speak in English, and I was pretty proud of myself. I did come here speaking more Spanish than the other students, thanks to my amazing teacher in the US (he knows who he is :) ) but I still have plenty of difficulty.

However, I did understand that if I get permission, tomorrow I'm going to a water park with my class, and I'm super excited. I love most of my classmates, so I like the extra time to spend with them (where I can talk to them and such) with out having to at least pretend I know what is going on. They don't do work ever either...

Don't get me wrong, we are not all lazy, but honestly the teachers dont give us much to do and the only classes I fully understand are P.E., Music, "Spanish", and Computer, but those are the only ones I pay full attention in anyways :P

Anyways, I'm out of time to write, but as always if you have more questions, feel free to comment or email Meghan.95.Dushko@gmail.com



P.S.  My photography page on facebook is www.facebook.com/MeghanRuthAnnaPhotography, you can find photos there or if you are friends with me, on my personal page. Below are a few photos from the first week or so.

Below is my favorite photo from this week, its not with my friends from school, but here it is
                   (Left to Right: No clue :P, Caro, Tati (?), Kayla, Ferdy, (?), Leo, Me, Thais )
                    (Kayla is another student from my district in NY. YEP D7170 :D and Leo and Thais came to our district last year. )

Also, if you haven't noticed, I forget names alot :P

Honestly...

Honestly, I need to say that I can never say when a post will be up. I cant give you a definite day. The life of an exchange student is a lot.

What they say is true; it is:

• Difficult 
• Insane
• Beautiful
• Amazing
• Ugly
• Terrible
• Enlightening
• Stressful
• Important
• Responsibility

And much more. I cant think of many descriptive words right now, but I think you get the idea. I have a lot on my mind and a lot to do. I often do better at posting when Im asked questions so if you want, post a comment or email Meghan.95.Dushko@gmail.com. Im always open to emails.

Remember, I am an EXCHANGE STUDENT, so there are SOME things you probably DONT want to know.

Adios!

La primera semana! (The first week)

Hola, and hello! (sorry if this post is  jumbled and hasty but I wanted to share something and this week has been a little crazy.

I know its a little late but here is my post on my first week.

Anyways, the reason my blog is so late, is because describing my first week is a train-wreck. Im great at talking but it's hard to describe at points.

Basically here's what I've done:

• I arrived on Tuesday August 20th at 8AM and then went out to breakfast with my family
• Been shopping at the markets, which can be quite big and crazy.. *** (detailed posts on markets and money)
• Retrieved my uniform on Tuesday
• Started school Wednesday August 21st at 8AM (School hours 8AM - 12PM, about 2:30PM - 6PM)
• Had a kind of introduction get together with cousins and counselors on Tuesday *** (detailed post will be about rotary meetings and family get togethers)
• School every day :P
• Eat a lot of food, when Im not very hungry ) ***
• Went to two parties with friends. One Friday, one Saturday.
• Sunday activities  ***
• School :P ***  X

I know theres not much here and not much to know but be sure to ask if you have any questions. I will do more detailed posts later on the posts with "***" next to them

Sorry about the post, but things are hard to explain and I am always too tired to write when I can think of something to say. 

Ciao.


P.S. If there is a "X" next to sentence with "***" It means there is a more detailed post about it up somewhere.

El Diario Del Avion

8/19/2013 at 6:43PM
Dear readers,
This post may seem a bit weird. Different format and all, but I decided that if I wanted to write when there is no internet it is easier to write as a letter because it is going to be read in the future, not in the now. Currently I am on the plane to Miami, where I will change planes and go to Bolivia. I like this second flight I am on alot, because it is much better than the 9 person plane I rode to Boston, which made me feel like I needed  to vomit. I was freaking out when I first departed in Albany too though, and the anxiousness probably to contributed to the fact that I felt like I was going to die, but afterwards it was kind of like the feeling you get after a rollercoaster, like wow that was bumpy and I thought I was going to get sick, but now I want to do it again. I feel like now that I've got my first plane ride ever done, and it was on a nine passenger plane, Im never going to fear planes again, hopefully.
Anyways, you probably wont see this post until Im in Bolivia, but Im going to be in Bolivia in approximately 13 hours give or take. I was super scared and anxious and everything last night and this morning and now that Im on the second plane there, Im calm. I find it kind of weird, but Im completely calm. Maybe its the reason that I know there is no turning back now, or because I dont feel like Im going to vomit on this plane yet, but I still have about two more hours, so don't worry,  there is time for me to ruin the flight of the guy next to me. Just kidding, I really don't want to do that. Plus, it would be very unpleasant for me as well.
As I'm sitting here, all I can think about is being there. I feel like the plane ride to your country (especially if it's your first time) has to be one of the hardest parts of leaving your family. Because your thinking about the one you just left and the one you are about to meet, but you cant talk to them or anything, you just have to wait. (Lies, I talked to my family on facebook for like 10 minutes using the wifi, but still.) Anyways, you also have to deal with the shaking, and the ear popping, and the annoying girls behind you who wont shut up. Plus the imminent danger of your computer, ipod, whatever, running out of battery and reading all your magazines, etc. and having nothing to do. Im afraid of the 9 hour flight ahead now, but I think that one has some outlets :D Ive only used like 10% of my battery anyways....
Whatever, can't think of anything else to say right now, but if you have any more questions to ask about the flight or specific questions about nausea, electronics, stupid people, etc., be sure to comment!
Ill make sure to post at leasst once a week while Im in Bolivia if I have the time, so keep tuned for more posts. There will definitely be a first week post, and a first month post, but not sure how well I am going to stick to my blogging duty after that. Anyways, enjoy!

11:48PM 8/19/2013

I think that my last flight, is the best one so far. Partially because it means Im "this close" to Santa Cruz, plus for a little bit we had a really good free wifi connection.

The only annoying thing was we may arrive a bit late cause we hit some turbulence due to a small rain cloud or something like that and he had to go slower than normal so he said we will arrive like 10-15 minutes late.

I have no idea whhy I am writing right now.

A tip to future exchangers or those going this year who havent flown yet, heres how it goes:

⦁ If you are on a 9 passenger plane, it sucks.

⦁ Even if you dont get car sick you may get plane sick, partially because of the nerves, if you can, bring motion sickness medication, unless you layover is more than 2 - 2.5 hrs, you may not have time to find any. *I brought some but couldnt find it

⦁ If you have 3 flights, the first one is exciting, because its the beginning of your journey, (plus i had never flown before, nor had my friend Kayla). The second one seems super long, no matter how short it is. Hopefully your airplane has free wifi, it helps. My second plane did not, and after I finished my reading material, I was super bored. Currently, I am on my third plane, and if its long, its actually good. You have time to rest up before you get to your destination, because now I am exhausted, plus the flight attendants on the longer ones tend to be nicer and more helpful in my opinion. Plus, I got a free pillow for the flight and two blankets, I really hope this means good sleeping. Also my neck has been bothering me, so that made me really happy.

Anyways, Im going to eat and then go to sleep, but I wanted to do one last travel post.

4:37PM 8/20/13

Im in Bolivia now, but I'm not going to post about my day yet. You should see a post by Sunday about my first day/first week and the things I love/ things I dont. Adios!

Quick Blurb!

A couple of people asked me why I stopped doing bilingual posts so I figured I'd address it.

I stopped doing bilingual posts because......

• I didn't have the time to go through and write it all back out in Spanish, but I felt it should be done with my knowledge, not Google Translate or Spanish Dict.

•  Therefore, I want to wait until I know at least a little more Spanish first

• My friends said the format may be a little annoying and that if I'm going to post in Spanish too, that I should open a separate blog.

Despite all this, I do plan to start posting in both Spanish and English again; however, I plan on waiting until I have been in Bolivia for at least a month, but probably at the beginning of October I should be writing in Spanish again.

Toodaloo, and read on! ;)

Is this real life?

Have you ever seen those videos after people leave the dentists and have a lot of novocaine?

Well I kind of feel out if it like they do and am asking the same questions, like "Is this real life?"

I leave the US for Bolivia in about 9 days, and everything has come together. Over the past two months or so, I have felt everything building up and have tried to make myself fully recognize what I am about to jump into.

My feelings are over the place. Im excited, but nervous at the same time. Im ready, but scared. Happy, but said. You get my drift, in short............................................

So many in fact, that I couldn't choose just one GIF.

Anyways I'm thinking about all the great things and all the great people in Bolivia, but Im scared to leave my family behind here. I know in the long run it will be worth it and I'm still super excited, so there is no way I think I will come back, but I just needed to rant about life before I go.

Not super reflective.... I know, but at least I tried ;P

Less than a month!

In less than one month from today I will be taking off for the journey of a lifetime. Right now I'm preparing.I have summer school every day so I can finish my high school classes early, and right after that I have work until at least 3PM every day. I have just recently gotten my suitcases for exchange and am starting to think about packing. When I get paid this weekend my mom and I are going shopping for small things like contact solution for my carry on, etc., and a laptop or Ipad for Skyping and keeping in contact, and uploading photos. I feel really nervous about packing and leaving but I am super excited and I cannot wait much longer until I can leave. It's not because I do not like my hometown because I really do, it's just I want to explore the world and make some awesome new friends that will last me a lifetime. It is crazy how fast my countdown has been coming along, I can still remember when I was up over 100 days left until my departure. While it all did seem to go by quickly, it sure did feel like forever also but I am sure this homestretch is going to go by the quickest. In the next couple of days and over the next week, I plan to get in more contact with my host counselor and my family. I have already contacted my host counselor once and my family numerous times via Skype, but I feel I should talk to them more, and even though I don't really have questions for some reason I feel like there is more I should know before leaving. I'm also scared of getting homesick, I don't believe I will ever be homesick enough to come home, but I'm nervous of what I will miss and wonder what they believe I will have trouble with.

Here are a few things that I think I will miss while I am gone:

• My Soccer and Track Team
• Family/Friends/Pets
• Spending my 18th birthday with my family
• Driving
• Complete comprehension of everything people say

I know its bad to think about all the things I may miss, but don't get me wrong I'm excited for a lot too.

Things I'm really excited for:

•  Getting out of the same, boring, small, old town that I have been in for the past 17 years of my life
• Meeting new people
• Learning more/ becoming fluent in Spanish
• Playing soccer with new people, and hopefully improving
• Attending a new school
• Traveling and seeing new places 
• Becoming a "new me"
• Learning more about myself than ever before
• Attending my first "non-birthday party"
• Seeing how traditions and holidays are done in another country

/....... AND....... MUCH MORE!

I will post again before I leave, thanks for reading. I know its jumbled as always, but check back soon. ;)

REMEMBER, I HAVE A PHOTOGRAPHY PAGE ON FACEBOOK TOO. TO SEE PHOTOS OF BOLIVIA, CHECK BACK IN AUGUST 2013 - JUNE 2014.

www.facebook.com/MeghanRuthAnnaPhotography

40 days! Facts and such on Bolivia!

Hey guys, I wanted to do another post this week, so I decided to do one today. There are officially 40 days until I get on a plane to go to Bolivia, and I couldnt be more excited. I also wanted to share a list of Bolivian holidays that I found after looking up their holidays on the 4th:

The following holidays are celebrated in Bolivia:

New Year’s Day	January 1	Tuesday
Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.	January 21	Monday
Plurinational State Day	January 22	Tuesday
Carnival	February 11-12	Mon & Tue
President's Day	February 18	Monday
Good Friday	March 29	Friday
Labor Day	May 1	Wednesday
Memorial Day	May 27	Monday
Corpus Christi	May 30	Friday
Winter Solstice (Aymara New Year)	June 21	Thursday
Independence Day	July 4	Thursday
La Paz Day (Only in La Paz)	July 16	Tuesday
Bolivian Independence Day	August 6	Tuesday
Labor Day	September 2	Monday
Cochabamba Day (Only in Cbba)	September 14	Saturday
Santa Cruz Day (Only in Santa Cruz)	September 24	Tuesday
Columbus Day	October 14	Monday
All Saints Day	November 2	Saturday
Veterans Day	November 11	Monday
Thanksgiving Day	November 28	Thursday
Christmas Day	December 25	Wednesday

Chart from:  http://bolivia.usembassy.gov/holidays.html

My family!

Wow, I have a lot of posts today. I guess I just really got into the idea of blogging and sharing my life with you guys. I think I have recently started to open up about my fears of exchange and realized that the more I actually talk about it, the less afraid I am.

Anyways, this post is just to share some things about my family and to share some photos. Enjoy!

So when I got my guarantee form, I was excited beyond explanation, so here is a photo to explain my excitement.

Anyways, shortly after I received my guarantee form, I spent about an hour trying to decide if I wanted to email my family in English or Spanish. I chose Spanish.

I was really nervous, so the email was very short and choppy in language.

Even though I was super nervous, Vivi's (my host mom) emails were pretty relaxing for the most part, and she seems really genuine and kind, and I cant wait to meet her and my host dad and host dogs.

The only thing about my family that scares me a little bit, is that there will be no other kids in the house. One, Gabriela , is in college in Sucre, Jose Pablo, is an exchange student and going to Nebraska, and the other lives in France. However, I then received an image of my host dogs, and I was like, " Those dogs, they gonna be ma best frands" (Yes I know that's spelled wrong, say it out loud and in my voice, that was my emotion)

 I dont have much else to say, but feel free to ask questions. Here are more photos of my awesome host family!

 I may edit this later.

Other Exchange Blogs

Hey guys, if you frequent my page and love youth exchange blogs like I do, check out some of these other great blogs!

India Owens
http://indiainchile.blogspot.com/

Nelson Alvarado
http://avoyagerschronicle.blogspot.com/

Janelle O'Meara
http://abelgianadventure.blogspot.ca/

Emmy Halford
http://my-finnish-adventure.blogspot.com/

Ashlyn Kriegel
http://akriegel7.blogspot.com/

Amanda Nguyen (Fair warning not in english but is nice to read once you translate it)
http://amanda-nguyen.blogspot.dk/


http://usahomeaway.blogspot.com/ (Mostly portuguese, some english)

Alina Ramona Ferrara
http://alinaferrara.blogspot.ch/

Thanks! If I find anymore I like, I'll be sure to post them!

COUNTDOWN CLOCK :)

HTTP://COUNTINGDOWNTO.COM

Hola! Long time no see! A packing post... :P

Hey guys, I decided to stop with the dual posts for a while, just because I don't have time to do all that writing, but I did want to post a couple more times before I leave. So right now, I have 46 days until I go, and I will shortly be posting a countdown clock on the blog, and after I get there I will post a approximated returning date. Anyways, today's post is about an exchange students dreaded task of packing.Packing poses many questions. Like  "How do I fit a years worth of clothes plus host family gifts into one suitcase and a carry on?!"  Plus, what will I be trying to bring home a year from now that I need to leave space for?  I'm usually pretty good at packing sensibly, but this is just crazy.  To relieve some of this stress, I decided to start my packing list.
     
 I'm not a big fan of lists, but I'm a pretty unorganized person and find they help me get myself together when necessary. Because of the fact that I'm unorganized, I would not be surprised if I lost this list in the next 40 days or so, because of that, I decided to post the list here!

1. My American flag and one for my host family
2. Other Host family gifts
3. Pins
4. Contact Supply and 1 bottle of Solution
5. Bathroom Supplies/Toiletries
6. Backpack
7. 2 simple dresses
8. 2 pair jeans
9. 1 pair leggings
10. 5-7 pairs of shorts
11. One pair of wool socks and 5 pairs of regular socks
12. Laptop - If i can afford one before leaving :P
13. 7 short sleeve shirts
14. Running shoes
15. Sandals and Dress Shoes
16. Old Sneakers for Country Trip
17. 2 long sleeve shirts
18. 1 sweatshirt
19. 2 cardigans
20. Chargers and Adapters

Supplies for my carry on:

1. One extra pair of contacts and carry on solution

2. Glassses

3.  One Shirt and Extra pants or shorts

4. Camera and 2 pairs of batteries

5. $ and Passport

6. Magazine

7. 10 extra pins

I still don't know exactly what luggage I'll be taking so I may have way less or way more space than all that stuff would require.  At the moment I'm trying to figure out what clothes to wear on the plane, what else to bring in case I lose my luggage, etc. I definitely know that I will be WEARING my blazer and treasuring it with my life though.

I hope you enjoyed reading, check back soon for more stuff. Here is my photography page on facebook. Check back in August and until June 2014 for pictures of exchange! :)

http://www.facebook.com/MeghanRuthAnnaPhotography

UPDATE!

Hey guys! I know I said I would post shortly after my first orientation, but I totally slacked off and was super busy with school and stuff, but I'm back!

First of all, my orientation in Sidney was fantastic! We had a nice opportunity to hang out with all the other exchange students and meet them if we hadn't already. First we played a bunch of cultural immersion games, performed skits of possible situations in our host countries, and just got to meet each other. After a couple of meals and stuff, we got to just kind of hang out and rather than talk just about exchange, meet each other and make friends. For the most part, I hung out with the other student going to Bolivia with me, Kayla. Kayla is one of the nicest girls I have ever met, and she is so genuine and interesting. We mostly hung out and talked, but then we went to a basketball game that was going on in the school while we were there, and one interesting thing about Sidney, is that an exchange student from Bolivia currently goes there. That student's name is Thais. Kayla and I had met Thais before, and I had her number so we decided to hang out. Thais, Kayla, and I walked around the school for a while, and then Thais decided to show us some of her artwork, which was in a closed of hallway on the other side of the school. Little did we know, that all doors except the one leading outside, were locked. Lucky for us, there was snow out, and there was a little rule in place that we weren't to go outside, so Kayla, Thais, and I tried to sneak out, around a car, and back in without our "advisors" seeing us (They were sitting inside the cafeteria right there, which is surrounded with glass windows - LUCKY US :P). In case you were wondering, it didn't work. We got to the door and realized it was locked too. So here we are, standing outside in the cold, me yanking on a locked door, and Kayla and Thais peeking out from behind Zoren's, our district chair, car. Once again, lucky us, Zoren catches us. So here I am yanking on the door, and Zoren looks up, and I just shrug my shoulders and fake a smile, as he smiles, shakes his head, and gets up to save us.
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So I know that was a bad summary, but I hope you get my point......
THAT IT WAS SO MUCH FUN, AND I HAVE THE BEST ROTARY FRIENDS EVER.
Plus after that, Thais stayed and played Ninja, some weird game, with us for about an hour until we had to go.

I'm sorry, this is so terribly written, but I'm still getting used to this blogging thing. Hopefully you still check back though, and I somehow manage to get better at summaries, and using correct punctuation. ;)