Final Rotary Report

Kelsey A. Liebenson-Morse
Rotary Report # 3
April 2008

1. Have you traveled outside your immediate area? In groups with other students? With Rotarians? As part of your school program?

One of my goals for my exchange year was to travel as much as possible. I had no idea I would be so fortunate. I have traveled to Italy, Turkey, Greece, Austria, Slovenia, and Serbia. I have visited several towns and cities within the country of Croatia. On May 5th I will travel to Dubrovnik, Croatia's most adored city, supposedly one of the most beautiful in the world. Most of my travel was done with other Exchange Students or my host families. My Rotary hhas taken us to Plitvice Lakes, one of Croatia's National Parks, along with Zagorija, the upper part of Croatia. And on May 25th I will embark on a three week tour of Europe, sponsored by the Rotary.

2. How has your social life been? Parties? Family events? Close friends?

I will never forget my first real Croatian friend, and her initial kindness. She was a neighbor at my first host family's house, and I can vividly remember walking over to her house on my second day in this country. I can remember walking into her room, and her just giving me this giant hug and looking at me and seeming to say, ok, you can relax now...I have made friends with my classmates, I have made friends with people from all over the world. Breaking into a new social circle can be difficult, but you begin to remember how to go about making friends.
Another exchange student here, is a friend for life. We have already planned her visit to New Hampshire. My close friend Phillip, is also planning to come visit this summer. My big group of Croatian guy friends who call me Chelsea (as in the football team) are like a band of brothers, who would do anything for me if I asked. I was/am lucky that I met people who truly care about me as a friend, people I will stay in contact with for years to come. Writing this makes me realize how difficult saying goodbye all over again will be.

3. Have you had visitors from home? If so, when? Who? Comments?

This Friday, April 18th, my father and sister will arrive in Zagreb. I am excited beyond description. Mostly, it is a surreal feeling; to picture seeing my family after a long period of time (the longest in my 18 years) and seeing them within this new life that I have been living alone for 8 months. Both of my host families, present and former, are looking forward to meeting my family. I am looking forward to seeing my three families together.

4. Have you made your arrangements to come back? Date returning?

I will be back in Peterborough, New Hampshire on the 13th of June, sometime around 8 o'clock in the evening.

5. How many host families did you have? Please comment on how you liked being in different families? Too many different families... not enough families?

I have lived with two host families this exchange year. My first family is, to me, like my family at home, so leaving them was extremely difficult. In some ways, I think one is guaranteed to forge a stronger bond with the first family, simply because of circumstances. When you first arrive in your country, you are vulnerable and friendless, and essentially mourning the loss of all that is familiar. You spend much more time at home during the first few months, due to lack of resources and friends, etc. Your first family are those who help you to establish a life for yourself. By the time I switched to my second family (in January) I already had a life going, with things to do, and friends to spend time with. In some ways, this has been challenging for me-I am torn between wanting to be with friends, and spending time with my second host family. To me, two is a good number of families, I am not sure I would have liked to switch lifestyles again. I do believe no matter how hard it is to leave your first family, change is inevitably good.

6. In general, please evaluate your exchange experience. Anything you would have done differently? Would you recommend the program to others? How are you different from when you left in august?

I have to admit, this question makes me laugh. A year abroad cannot exactly be summed up in anything less then a novel. I will spare everyone the torture of hearing a blow by blow account of my crisis, growth, struggles, and adventures, all that I have seen, heard, learned and experienced.
I can say, without a doubt in my mind, that no, I would not have done anything differently, nor would I have chosen another country. Since Croatia is a small country, without many foreigners, everyone always asks me, why Croatia? And honestly, I have to tell them, it was by accident. Croatia was my fourth choice and I never thought I would end up living here for a year.
I had no idea what to expect, all I knew was that Croatia was rumored to have nice beaches. Honestly, I pictured myself sitting under a palm tree all year, and being swept off my feet by some dark eyed European.
But, as I am sure other exchange students feel, your home country becomes dear to you in a way that is hard to word. You feel as though a part of you now belongs to your home country. There are traditions and recipes and sights and a language that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I now feel as though I have a home away from home, a country that I am perhaps not through with-I have a feeling Croatia will play a part in my life sometime in the future. My first host family is my family now. I can picture them at my wedding. My nine year old host sister will most likely be the hardest person to leave. One of my greatest comforts when I first arrived was being able to read her books and tuck her into bed.
Truthfully, I feel the enormity of this year will hit me upon my return to the "real world," as I think of it now. I feel as though everything that I wasn't able to process here will hit me, and once again, I will be adjusting. The life of exchange student is a padded existence. School for me is a complete joke at best, my host family cooks for me, my host mother folds my laundry and puts it in my room. I have no serious obligations, expectations or jobs to do on a regular basis. Basically, I can do what I wish, within reason on a day to day basis. I have never had that type of freedom before, and probably never will again.
I will miss Europe and I will miss being able to blend in as a Croatian. I will miss "getting coffee" for three hours, as Croatia is a coffee culture. I will miss waiting for the bus, I will miss taking the tram, I will miss walking home alone late at night. I will miss every person here who offered me something, from the lady on the street, to my best friends. Overall, I feel lucky.
Over and over again, I would find myself in these situations, for example, looking at a view of the Adriatic, and think to myself, whatever did I do to get myself here? I filled out an application and got accepted. I would recommend exchange for everyone. I don't think it is possible to have a negative experience. Everything that once seemed negative inverts and becomes positive.
I have no idea how I have changed. I suppose I will discover that upon arrival in America, when I see the people who know me best in the world. I hope I am more organized, perhaps my moods are more controlled, and absolutely, capable of achieving what I want, on my own. The exaltation of being reliant on yourself is a feeling no one should miss.

April Happenings

Today is an "exciting" day for the small country of Croatia, especially for the capital city of Zagreb. None other then our dear American President, Mr. George W. Bush will be visiting the city. He has successfully managed to immobilize most of the city, arriving with about 25 planes and God only knows how many security guards and assorted members of the C.I.A. Trams and bus are not running on regular schedules. Since I live on the main street which enters the center of the city, my host father was forced to bike around the entire city in order to get to work...

Walking home today, I was distracted by the unholy amount of police men stationed on all street corners, (every 10 meters) attempting to look as though they were doing something productive...most schools were either canceled or shortened today...due to the fact that Mr. Bush would, at some point during the day, be driving by. Homes which are located on streets which Mr. Bush will drive by have been ordered to shut their shades and stay inside...rather unbelievable. I am a bit embarrassed that our President is making such a ruckus by coming to this tiny country. I am not planning on doing any flag waving or anything of that sort. Protests have been organized, although the police are already trying to put a stop to them.

On a different note-
Today, I will be on Croatian National T.V., for the second time this year. It seems to me that Croatian reporters don't have too much to report, since they keep contacting all of us exchange students, asking to do interviews. (Shows you how few foreigners there are living in this country.) The last interview I did was in English, comparing the school systems in American to those in Croatia. I was allowed to answer in English. The latest interview, about why I was in Croatia, had I found love, (everyone asks that question) etc. was conducted entirely in Croatian. More then a little nerve-wracking...I honestly have no idea what I said...so at 1:20 today, we shall see how incredibly unprepared I appear...lovely.

Other news-
I was finally able to meet up with my friend Mirta, who was on exchange from Bjelovar, Croatia in Hopkinton, New Hampshire this past year. We met at my Rotary Orientation, she was my first Croatian friend, and was wonderful about me grilling her with questions. She taught me my very first Croatian words...Although Bjelovar isn't far from Zagreb (about 1 and half hours) we have missed each other for various reasons. But last Thursday Mirta was in Zagreb, so we were able to get coffee and spend some time together. Hopefully we will see each other again sometime before the 13th of June.

Hope everyone is enjoying the snow in New Hampshire...I got myself the beginning of a tan on Monday afternoon, it being more then 75 degrees in the sun.