Today marks a significant milestone, it is now exactly one month until I will depart Australia and leave behind everything I have ever known, to journey across to the other side of the world. In just one month, I will be on a plane to Germany where I will begin my year long adventure as a Rotary Youth Exchange student.

I cannot begin to express my excitement for the impending adventure. Not a day goes by when I don’t think about the year I have ahead of me. I’m looking forward to engaging in a new culture, learning a second language and forging life long friendships while representing Australia abroad. For me, these aspects are the most exciting.

I am also extremely grateful for this once in a lifetime opportunity. It is only through the generosity of Rotary International, and the support of my friends and family that has made my exchange possible.

I am so glad that I made the decision to apply to become a Rotary exchange student. I have been talking about going on exchange for a long time, and in February I finally decided to just go for it. Throughout my whole pre-exchange journey, I have begun to change and grow while preparing for my year abroad. I have become more confident in myself and drastically improved my public speaking abilities. And I haven’t even arrived in my host country yet! I am grateful for the positive impact the application process has had on me, and I cannot wait to truly begin writing my next chapter while living in Germany.