My 3 main tips for exchange - Aarelyn Serrato

Another exchange friend from Houston! Aarelyn is now in Denmark on exchange!

Hey! My name is Aarelyn and let me start off by saying that exchange is 100% the best thing that has ever happened to me. I know that gets said a lot, but it’s said for a reason!! However, everyone's exchange is different, but whether for better or worse it changes you regardless. I’ve definitely had a good exchange with amazing friends, host families and rotary clubs who have been there for me throughout my whole exchange. I have friends from all over the world including Denmark! I've also had amazing host families who have treated me like their own daughter and have definitely made me feel safe and loved. I've also gotten lucky in the fact that I haven't experienced much homesickness. Which leads me to my first topic…

Homesickness

Of course there have been moments when I really wished I was in my parents arms hugging them so hard and spending time with my family, but I always try to remind myself that I'll be with them soon and I'll get home right when summer starts so I'll get to spend the whole summer with family and friends. I also remind myself to live in the moment because before I know it it’ll be over. I also always try to always have something to do and keep myself busy. Whether that be by going out with my friends and being in town, going to different cities with my exchange friends and exploring together or even having game night with my host family. However, something that you shouldn't do that I did a lot is make yourself feel bad and weak for wanting to go home. I would always get mad at myself and call myself weak for not being able to handle it. Which is incredibly stupid and wrong. You always have to let yourself feel and listen to your heart and what's best for you. For me I know the best thing is to say and finish my exchange and live this year to the fullest. But you have to remember that it's always okay to want to go home. One of my best friends from the exchange is a girl named Abby from Indiana, USA and she had that problem. She was really struggling with adapting and didn't have many friends due to a bad classroom environment and not really getting the help she needed from her Rotary district so after a lot of consideration and talking with her host family she decided that the best thing for her and her mental health was to go back home. Ever since she made that choice she's been home and has no regrets. Though it really hurt to lose my closest friend I am so happy that she's happy now and even though it was a hard choice it was the best choice for her. Now I don't say this to encourage you to go home, but I say it to remind you that going home is always an option and no one will judge you or make you feel bad for making that choice. It also helped me open my eyes because I always saw going home as a bad thing but it's not, it all depends on how and what you feel is best for you so don't let anyone else's opinion make you feel otherwise.

Meeting New People

The most important thing to remember when meeting new people is to always be yourself and put yourself out there. When I first arrived I really tried to get to know my host family and being really open with them as they were with me. After a week of being in denmark I had a Rotary camp where I met Abby and we both went out met new people and introduced them to each other then they did the same and by the end we were friends with almost the whole camp. It sounds a lot harder than it really is. All you have to do is put yourself out there and having a few really close friends also makes it easier. I did the same when I started school. I started by making a few really good friends and from there they introduced me to their friends and so on. I also got to know my teacher well and told them I would always be happy to make presentations about american or mexican culture and a lot of them accepted my offer and even recommended me to other teachers. So I've presented to quite a few classes which I've loved because it's another way to get to know other people that aren't in my classes and meet new people. I know it can be pretty nerve racking and scary at first but I promise it's not so bad and in the end you'll have a lot of friends and people who can show you around and who you can explore with.

Spending

At first it's a bit scary because of how independent you have to be. You have to learn to problem solve and speak up more than ever before. For me the biggest issue has been saving my money. Coming to a new country with different styles and culture made me want everything they had so that I could fit in. I didn't spend a crazy amount of money but I definitely could have saved better, especially on clothes. I really recommend going thrifting or to any second hand store to buy really cute clothes for cheaper especially if you are in an expensive country like Denmark. Also, when getting souvenirs I always try to get small items for easy travel. The last thing that you should keep in mind is that when going back home if you don't have any space in your luggage it's best to get another small one rather than sending a package home. Of coure try to get rid of whatever you know you wont need back home by donating it and keep in mind that the style back home will also be different. But if you're like me and have way too many things just keep in mind that if you really can't fit anything then it's cheaper to get a small luggage or even ask your host families or club members if they have an old one they don't use.

Those are my 3 main tips for exchange and I really hope they're helpful to whoever needs them! Always remember to have fun and to live your year with no regrets!!