Good News

My best ideas concur in the shower. So there I was, singing very badly in the shower when I realized it was the first time that week I felt hopeful.

People need something to believe in. Like in that movie my dad likes--Rango. They just need something to hold on to during hard times--whether that's hope or an ice cream bar; just a tiny piece of something that helps them get through the day. Especially after evertyhing in the news that only seemed to worsen as the week-as the year went on. What next ?

A quick text to a few of my good friends around the world and I had discovered the prompt for my next post. I would write about the happiest moments on their exchanges.

Here’s what I found ...

A, 17 in France: “My happiest moment about my year was spending Christmas with my host family, and not feeling out of place :)”

T, USA: “I think the happiest moment of my exchange year would be right in the beginning at my language camp when I realized what amazing people I would be spending my year with”

J, 18 Australia: “My happiest moments are everyday when I’m walking to the bus stop after school and can reflect on my day and realise how great and different it was to life in Australia and think about my new friends and things they did. I always find my self smiling about it and it’s at that time that I realise I feel genuinely happy here”

P, 17 in Brazil: “Too hard to choose just one happy memory. I love my second home on exchange“

Me, 15, Sweden: “Everything”

J, Australia “There’s been a lot of happy moments so far even though I’ve been here barely over a month. Language camp was definitely super fun, outdoor ice skating and seeing snow was something I definitely won’t forget (as an Australian especially haha)”

L, 16, Colombia: “My happiest moments are against rotary rules”

T, 17, USA: “Learning the language mostly sucked but my friends in my host country made it a lot of fun. I actually loved everyday of school with them”.

L, 16, Sweden: “Sweden was a very cold country but all the people i met made it warmer”

M, 16, Poland “My favorite moment of my exchange year was when I meet my new host family for the first time in the city. It was amazing and after the first meeting I was just counting down the days till I would switch to their family. We just hit it off instantly!“

S, 18, Mexico “I had a hard time getting to know my host families and feeling like I belonged. On my birthday a few months in they all surprised me with some great gifts. That’s when I knew I had found a home”

The way I see it is if I can cheer up just 1 person out of a whole world, then that’s one less person that’s sad. And that’s enough for me.