Great memories of mine

We know that most of the students go on exchange because they want to party, they want to get wasted or whatever, but sometimes I feel like I need to remind these people that there are more important things in life. During my exchange I learned to appreciate simple things as well. It can be when you miss something you used to do with someone and now you can not do it, or it can be something you started doing during your exchange and you know you will not do once you leave.

Senior trip at Winter Park

I have many memories I still hold on to, and I will probably do forever. There were moments I hated my American high school and some others when I loved it, I think it is absolutely normal that I felt that way. Now that I graduated and left, I only want to remember the good things I have done there. Like when we went to Winter Park for our senior trip. We slept in some cabins and it only lasted one night, I was exhausted because of the fact that the night before I did not sleep anything, but I still remember it as a good trip. There was a big bonfire where people got together and sang. It was December, it was cold and I did not know a lot of seniors (I used to hang with everyone, not just my class), but I will remember it as a fun trip. We also played Cards Against Humanity but then someone from the school staff took it from us claiming it was not a good game!?

Senior camp out

I also remember that one time when senior camped outside the school. It was one of the last days of school and apparently every senior class does it every year so they did it again, they climbed on the roof and they put a sign that said "Class of 2015". I was not part of the senior class for the whole four years but I did feel part of it the moment I was camping out there. My house was only two miles away and I could have slept in my room with my blankets, instead, I was lying on the wet grass with a sleeping bag and inside a tent with other seven or eight people. Not the most comfortable night of mine, but definitely a fun one.

A shoutout from a Southwest flight attendant

I am pretty sure everyone who is reading my post has been on an airplane at least once in their life, and if you are American you probably know the airline called Southwest. I flew with them a couple of times, but there is one that I particularly remember. I was in San Francisco with other Rotary exchange students and we were headed back to Denver, where two weeks ago we started our road trip. Once one of the flight attendants realized that something like forty exchange students were on board, she took her time to speak on the microphone to tell us the following:

"They represent twenty-one countries. This is just a great shoutout from Southwest, we love all of you and we are so glad you shared part of your day with us. Welcome, welcome, welcome! "

It was just very random, we did not expect this at all and this just changed our day. We were very emotional and sad to leave, and this lady just made our day. I mean this lady could simply just do her job without even acknowledging the fact that we were exchange students, but she did, and it was nice of her. Whoever you are, thank you for being so nice to us.

Cozy afternoons by the fireplace

Greeley is nothing like New York City, Los Angeles or any other big city in the USA but it was definitely where I was supposed to be. I got the chance to spend the most exciting eleven months with a very nice family. I have endless moments I shared with them that are worth mentioning, but since it is just too hard to even choose one, I will just speak about something that would happen very often, especially in the winter: we would watch a movie in the living room, next to the fireplace, on the couch, with a blanket. I am sure everyone has done this before, I am sure this is not just American, but it is definitely something I enjoyed doing on exchange. I have met people claiming that it was boring to be home and that they needed a party. Well, this shows how good of a host family I had because I never feel bored when I was around them. They hosted twenty-something exchange students over the years and never lost their excitement along the way.

Random conversations with strangers

We all have our moments sometimes, something did not go the way it was supposed to be or simply we want to be left alone for a while, it happens, but small actions can have a great impact on someone's life. One thing that really surprised me was how nice people were in Colorado. Some of them, like waiters and cashiers, were just working so they were being nice because it is their job, but it does not matter, this is not the way it works in Italy. When I shop in Milan the minute I step into a shop I already have a worker on me asking a bunch of questions like "Can I help you with anything? We have twenty percent off on shoes today. Do you want to check out our new line of t-shirts? " and this is when I quickly leave the shop. I can not stand when people do this, but in Colorado, it was different, at least before asking you questions they remember to greet you.

There was this one time in Kauai Island where my American mom and I asked some questions about shirts to this lady and after she helped us she started having a conversation with me. She did not have to, I was already planning on buying her shirts, but she genuinely asked me where I was from because she could not figure it out. I told her I was Italian and she surprisingly told me that I had no accent and that my English was very good. As we were talking she told me that one of her good friends was in Milan and that she was blogging about it, how small can the world be? I really enjoyed talking to her even if now I do not even remember her name.

A good Danish soul

I moved to Denmark for studying and I did not have a job until I was called from a warehouse, which offered me a temporary contract. My first day of work was a very cold day of late November and I had to wake up at 4:30 to be able to catch the bus at 5:20. It was very early and dark, and since I did not know where to get off exactly, I asked the driver, who promised me he would tell me which stop was mine. As I stay on the bus a couple of minutes over the time I was supposed to get off, I check my phone and the maps show me that I was going further away from the warehouse. I started panicking and I asked the driver if I had to get off, but instead, he told me I was good and that I had to get off at the next stop, so I did and I found myself literally in the middle of nothing. I was on the edge of the lane, without a lamppost. It was my first day of work and I was going to be late, or even worst, I was not going to show up. "I am screwed", I thought, so I stuck my thumb out hoping that someone would stop. But again, it was almost six in the morning, I was outside of town in an industrial area. I saw only two cars since I arrived and none stopped. But before I lost hope a white car stopped and asked me what was wrong. "Thank you, Sir, for stopping. I need to go to work". It was the first time I accepted a ride from a stranger but it turned out that his son also worked in the same warehouse and that he knew exactly where to go, unlike the bus driver... who left me alone in the cold, in the dark and at the wrong stop. I offered him money but he said he was more than welcome he did something good for me and maybe karma will be nice to him. What a nice guy.

Conclusion

There are tons of things worth remembering, but sometimes people forget about them and start complaining about the most stupid little things. Please, take time to remember what is good in the world and your mood will positively change.

- Cristian

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