The Country Fair!

Wow! Last weekend was a game-changer. I arrived to Salem around 5 pm with two other Lincoln kids and we were checked in and shown to our designated cabins. We completed our registration, got fitted for rotary blazers, and had our photos taken for our business cards. After some preliminary welcomes, we headed down to the dining hall for dinner. Later that night we had a chance to talk with different youth exchange officers, and I spent my time with South American YEOs. I learned a lot about South America and had pretty much decided it was where I wanted to spend my junior year. We were sent to bed around 11:30 and woken bright and early the next morning. We ate breakfast and then spent all day in different trainings. Finally around 7pm, the moment we had all been waiting for had arrived... The Country Fair! All of the current inbounds and rebounds had arrived to Salem earlier in the day and set up tables in the gym displaying photos, foods, flags, and other items that represented their country. We had about two hours to go around and talk to as many countries as we could. I immediately went over to talk to the rebound and inbound from Chile. I looked at photos and heard stories and in that moment I fell in love with the country. After spending over 20 minutes at the Chilean table, I decided to keep moving. Every Latin America country seemed perfect. I was dead set on going there... until I talked to some rebounds from India! It sounded like so much fun. I went to bed confused and conflicted. I woke up in the morning and had to select my #1 choice as well as 4 alternates. These choices didn't mean anything; they were just used so that the YEOs could get a feel for who wanted to go to their countries. I selected Chile as my #1 and then India, Ecuador, Argentina and Peru as  my alternates. I still don't know where I want to go, but I will find out in 3 weeks!!! I'll check in later.

Anticipation

In a week from today I will have to select my top 5 choices of countries I want to complete my exchange in. Now, this list ins't a very important list as I can always go back and change it in February. In five days my mom will pick me up from school at 3:20 and drive me to Salem (about an hour away) for the first official district meeting! I'm so looking forward to getting to know everyone as well as learning about all of the different countries. We will attend this event called the country fair, where all of the current inbounds talk about their home country and try to persuade us to go there. We also get to meet with all the country officers. At the moment I am definitely leaning towards a South American country (Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru...) or possibly Denmark, but as all of the current outbounds keep telling us on our facebook group: keep an open mind and push yourself to try exactly the opposite of what you think you want. Well, I don't really know where I'll end up, but for now I'll do as they say and keep my options open.

PS: 34 days until I'm assigned a country!!