"I am an Exchange Student.
How do you know what is a dream if you never accomplished one? How do you know what is an adventure if you never took part in one? How do you know what is anguish if you never said goodbye to your family and friends with your eyes full of tears? How do you know what is being desperate, if you never arrived in a place alone and could not understand a word? How do you know what is diversity if you never lived under the same roof with people from all over the world?
How do you know what is tolerance, if you never had to get used to something different even if you didn't like it? How do you know what's autonomy, if you never had the chance to decide something by yourself? How do you know what it means to grow up, if you never stopped being a child to start a new course? How do you know what is to be helpless, if you never wanted to hug someone and had a computer screen to prevent you from doing it? How do you know what is distance, if you never, looking at a map, said "I am so far away"?
How do you know what is a language, if you never had to learn one to make friends? How do you know what is patriotism if you never shouted "I love my country" holding a flag in your hands? How do you know what is true reality, if you never had the chance to see a lot of them to make one? How do you know what is an opportunity, if you never caught one? How do you know what is pride, if you never experienced it for yourself at realising how much you have accomplished?
How do you know what is to seize the day, if you never saw the time running so fast? How do you know what is a friend, if the circumstances never showed you the true ones? How do you know what is a family, if you never had one that supported you unconditionally? How do you know what are borders, if you never crossed yours, to see what there was on the other side? How do you know what is imagination, if you never thought about the moment when you would go back home?
How do you know the world, if you have never been an exchange student?"
How do you know what is tolerance, if you never had to get used to something different even if you didn't like it? How do you know what's autonomy, if you never had the chance to decide something by yourself? How do you know what it means to grow up, if you never stopped being a child to start a new course? How do you know what is to be helpless, if you never wanted to hug someone and had a computer screen to prevent you from doing it? How do you know what is distance, if you never, looking at a map, said "I am so far away"?
How do you know what is a language, if you never had to learn one to make friends? How do you know what is patriotism if you never shouted "I love my country" holding a flag in your hands? How do you know what is true reality, if you never had the chance to see a lot of them to make one? How do you know what is an opportunity, if you never caught one? How do you know what is pride, if you never experienced it for yourself at realising how much you have accomplished?
How do you know what is to seize the day, if you never saw the time running so fast? How do you know what is a friend, if the circumstances never showed you the true ones? How do you know what is a family, if you never had one that supported you unconditionally? How do you know what are borders, if you never crossed yours, to see what there was on the other side? How do you know what is imagination, if you never thought about the moment when you would go back home?
How do you know the world, if you have never been an exchange student?"
Michael
I'm Alejandrina Frias, a former exchange student who now runs a website (weallwander.com) created to help exchange students from around the world to have the best time of their lives while learning a new language and immersing into a different culture.
ReplyDeleteI found your blog and I really love your work, it will be an honor that you could write a guest post for us (of course that if you want to write more than one we will be thrilled!!)
Hope to hear from you soon
Ale Frias (:
Hi! Thanks :) I'd love to it'd be an honour. I'm no the author of this post tho, that's why I put quote marks, it's just a quote exchange student usually share. If you still want me to write something just let me know, you can find my contacts on the side!
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