Someone Wants Me!!!!

Monday night I found out that I now have a host family! Michel and Michele are the names of my host parents. They have a daughter who is 14 years old named Laura. It is feeling so much more real now. I actually now have a home and address. I haven't gotten my guarantee form yet, but I should tomorrowish. Then I'm totally going to Google Earth creep on where I'm going to be staying haha. I even got my RYE Officer who has the most French name, Pierre. I emailed my family right away introducing myself in French and telling them about me. Now I'm just waiting for a response. I can't wait to talk with my new family and even more I can't wait to spend an amazing time in their home. I am so excited now, its unbelievable! Its now less than 3 months away till I leave, 90 days from today. It's crazy now, I'm filling out my visa forms to be official and summer is almost here. I leave at the end of the summer, whoa it's coming way faster than I thought! I really just want to go now, but I am excited to have this summer to spend with my family and friends. I'm even hosting an exchange student from France for a month through school. It will be so interesting and beneficial to learn from them and have one more person to know in France. They are coming from the Lyon area of France which is in the South. It's not close to me, but not too far away. I cannot wait to start this amazing adventure. Oh wait, I already have started. Through Rotary I have had an amazing outbound year. I've met so many people, learned so much, and made so many memories. I never expected my year before leaving to be so much fun although very busy. I am so fortunate and can't even imagine how much more awesome it will get when I walk off that plane on August 26th in Toulouse, France to a waiting family!

Governor's Conference

At the Governor's Conference in Eagle River at the Eagle Waters Resort. May 13-16, 2010.

This is Mind's first time on a school bus! What an American thing, huh? I never found how much she liked it, but she's always trying new things well this one was kindof forced lol. We were on our way to practice before our big show at the high school for our variety show we put on.

Here we are performing the 20's section of our show. It was so much fun singing and danding with everyone. I was even better to show it to all the Rotarians and Exchange students!

Mind and I on the boat ride we took through the Chain of Lakes. It was so beautiful that day. Saturaday was a day of fun. Boating, vollyball, basketball, hanging out, and jumping in the lake all together, all my amazing Rotary family. The resort was an amzing place to stay and they were so nice. Us girls had a huge cabin to ourselves that was as I said huge and lakefront. Though whoever thought putting 20 plus girls in one house is crazy haha. It was an amazing time thouugh, especially watching a movie on the first night with all of us on one giant couch!

The main event of the weekend, the 1920's themed dinner. Here are Mind and I at our table having an amazing time.

We were all gangsters and mobsters that night, hence the awesome hats and beads. After the dinner we danced the night away with the help of a band and some very friendly Rotarians. Then we call just hung out and cat in the hot tub and sauna. Some of us, including me made it an all-nighter. Then unfortunately the next morning we all had to say goodbye to eachother. It's always the worst part of any conference, but now we all can't wait till Grand Rapids in July!!!

I'm Going to Toulouse!

OMG! This is like the best Sunday afternoon I have had in forever! I spent the day working, then spending the rest with a house full of family, but that's not why. After I did my usual check on the computer, facebook and email and such. I opened my inbox on my email and BAM! It was there, finally. A response from France, wow! Oh, it just gets better. I got assigned to a city and a club! The news I have been waiting for all year, and it's finally here! I will be hosted by the Toulouse-Est club in Toulouse, France. Meaning in English the East Toulouse Club its seperated because there are 9 clubs in Toulouse. Toulouse is a city of about 1.3 million people. It is the 4th largest city in France. I'm so lucky that I am going to a larger city and getting out of the small town Midwest! This will be the best adventure of my life! Now, I'm so much more excited! When I got the email I screamed and right away called my parents! I'm still almost shaking I'm so happy. Toulouse isn't on the sea, but it is large and has direct trains to all the great places like Paris, Marseille, and so many other amazing cities throughout Europe! I am so lucky right now! I can't believe this is all happening to little me. I never thought that I would be living a year in France, and now I'm just one step closer. It's finally feeling so real to me, yet it still feels like a dream. It will be reality when I get on that plane on August 25th! I'm still counting the days and I only have 108 more days till I leave! It seems like forever though. There will be so much for me to do and see in Toulouse. I am sure that I will never be bored at all. It is full of history, technology, art, and music. It is heaven to me right now. I have been the most fortunate person throughout the outbound year. I got my first choice of France, then I got the South of France, then I got one of the cities I really wanted! I thank God everyday for all He has given me! Right now I just want to climb onto the roof and scream to the world where I'm going! Hmm, well I'm not a big fan of heights so this post will have to be my scream to the world. I will keep you all updated on if I get a host family or more information! I'm getting closer and closer to my actual exchange! For now I will have to cherish my time here in Wisconsin, hopefully without anymore snow. Tomorrow I will share with my Rotary Club of Wausau my wonderful news and keep relaying the message to all my closest friends and of course my amazingly supportive family! Je ne peux pas attendre! (I can't wait!)

-Alexis

The First Ever Post

I see Paris, I see France. Oh where, oh where are my underpants??? Well as I promised a certain someone, I have to have this as my first line ever on this blog. I kinda wanted that to be my title, minus the naughty comment part on the end, but unfortuantely it was just to long for a blog title. I will admit to this now, I am not a blogger. I'm a talker, but never a blogger. Who knows maybe its the next best thing? Well I should proly get to my actual point of starting this blog. Well from today I have 113 more days till I leave for the Soutwest part of France on exchange for a whole year. I cannot wait for this amazing oppertunity that Rotary Youth Exchange has given me! I'm so ready to leave now, it seems like forever away. I'm stuck waiting now. I have known that I'm going to district 1700 since the beginning of March. Now I am just waiting to hear about my city and family. I must check my email at least 7 times a day searching for an email from my cordinators with information, and every day my inbox just seems to be filled with junk. It's on my mind every second of every day. As I sit through class to when I'm falling asleep I can only think of France, France, and France. While I am waiting to leave I am pretty busy with school, work, and of course friends. Though I don't know if afternoon naps really count as being productive, haha. Every day that goes by I only realize how much I need to do before I leave. I have so much to prepare and things to get, most of all actually learn some valuable French. I'm in French III right now and do fine, but I'm pretty rusty on my speaking skills. Though I learned one important saying today in French that will help me survive a year abroad: Vous voulez sortir en boite ce soir? Meaning, Do you want to go to the club tonight? There, I'm set for the year. Just kidding, my year abroad will not be all fun and games. It's going to be alot of work, and I think that is what scares me the most. I'm the talkative outgoing person, and how can I be that when I can barely introduce myself properly in French. I fear not being able to express myself especially in the first month. I know they say people are friendly and you catch up, but really how can a person not be nervous. The first day of school is scarey no matter what, and in a whole new country. Wow, I can't even imagine it now. This whole experience I feel will make me grow so much. I will learn and definately make mistakes. I hope to come back a new person but still my same old self in a way. I'm Alexis, who doesn't love me? Well I shouldn't say that, but you get the point. Hmm, I think I like this blog thing. I mainly started it to not only share and keep all my adventures in France, but for all my realtives and friends. This way they can see what I'm doing and I won't have to email a billion people all the time. It's a perfect trade. I want to get into the habit now of writing almost everyday, even if it's about hardly nothing. In the next few weeks I'm going to share my start in RYE program, the friends I've made, the variety show, and any new information I hopefully get about my exchange! I have no clue who's reading, but whoever you are, you're in for quite a roller coaster ride of an adventure!

-Alexis