new updates

I wanted to update about a week ago, when I went to the consulate of Japan and got my VISA!
It was a really exiting thing, because I am one step closer to getting to JAPAN!

This past weekend was the Rotary Niagara-On-The-Lake Bike Trek. The weekend consisted of a lot of bonding, picture taking, bicycle riding, and tears! But it was such an AMAZING weekend!The trek was 54KM, and some parts up pretty steep hills! It was so beautiful to ride along the lake side and be able to ride all the way to Niagara Falls! It was a lot of fun, and for a good cause too!
We got our blazers this weekend also, but turns out they mixed up the sizes and I now have a jacket size 18.. I'm a size 8. Think of how big that is! I was so excited to start putting all of my pins on to my blazer, but I can't because now I have to do something about the ridiculous size!
Sadly, it was the last weekend to see all of the inbounds of 08-09 and us outbounds together at one place.. There were so many tears but it was happy because everyone realized the amazing year they had here! I was crying FOR them, I'm quite the emotional person ;) that may be my downfall in Japan!
I had such an incredible weekend, and I find it truly awesome to have been able to met so many great people through Rotary. Every exchange student has changed me in some shape or form, and it's awesome to have met each and every one! It's also nice to know that you have a friend in every country..

guarantee forms

It's been a while since anything big has happened,
but last week I got my guarantee forms from JAPAN..
I'm going to be living in ISHIKAWA prefecture and going to a school where a friend of mine went on his exchange!
He had a lot of fun and met nice people (because it's not a school for very smart kids, it was easier to fit in), so I'm excited!
I leave August 21 on a group departure, and I will have to travel to 1 airport, drive to another then fly to another, all in JAPAN! crazy! hopefully I don't get lost.. neither my luggage!

I keep dreaming in Japanese too!
I keep having dreams about my exchange or something Japanese!
It's getting more real and I suppose I'm very anxious!

JAMESTOWN!

Jamestown was a lot of fun!

After a 3 hour busride, we arrived in a town with wooden 'adams family' type houses. We had a cheesy dinner, literally. Then we went off to host families for the night! I stayed with Ayumi, from Japan with a family who lived just outside of the town. It was really nice! Very different, but fun! My host sister made each of us beaded rings, really cute!

It was great to see all of the exchange students again, especially for the dance! that was a lot of fun ;) pretty wild!I'm really excited to get my Blazer in June! Getting all of the pins from the inbounds made me so much more excited for my exchange!

I started to learn some Japanese when I got my country placement just a month ago, and I thought I could at least string a sentence toegther.. but nope! Speaking to the exchange students from Japan was a painful task! I can not understand any of it yet! So I must study TEN THOUSAND HOURS by the time I become fluent!

pre-jamestown

Tomorrow I'm heading off to Jamestown for the weekend,
I'm super excited!
I have NO idea what we will be doing there.. but I'm excited to meet everyone who I haven't met before and to see all of the inbounds and outbouds I already know :)
I suppose I will update this with what I actually did when I get home!

JAPAN

I've been waiting for my letter telling my country for a week or so now.
and I got a facebook message from a man called "papa dave"
and we spoke and asked if I could wait for my letter or if I wanted to know my country!
(he is the curator for the whole exchange thing)
so i said, "sure, let the butterflies in my stomach go!"
the reply was..

"Do you own a KIMONO?? You'd better plan on getting one.
No more butterfRies hahaha
Sayonara Ash, hope you're HAPPY -You should be!!
Papa San Dave"

Those Japanese puns were incredible.
IM GOING TO JAPAN!
IM GOING TO JAPAN !
WOW !
JAPAN !

TEMAGAMI

Last Saturday until Tuesday, I went to TEMAGAMI with all of the inbounds and outbounds from my district.
I was So nervous to go, I knew it was going to be SO cold and I wouldn't know anyone but two girls!
It ended up being the most incredible experience!
I met so many great people from all over the world!
We went on a day long snowshoe expedition on the third day where I was voted the leader. We all sang our countries anthems. We took so many pictures. We crossed a frozen lake. We drunked ourselves into a hole in the ice and then ran back to the sauna. We woke up at 6:30 and went running everymorning. We taught eachother english swear words. We wrote letters to our future selves under the stars with only light from a candle. We made fun of eachother in skits. We had no bathrooms. We had no running water.

It was such an intense trip, but it was just so great!
Every exchange student in this district is so fun and I loved meeting everyone !

I wouldn't trade that experience for the world!

Interview

This weekend I went for my district interviews, it was scary! one interview was to make sure i was a sure fit for the program, and that panel of interviewers grilled me! my parents went in after me, and when they came out the paper had ACCEPTED circled, which was quite a relief!
The next interview was with the representatives of each country, I hope to hell I get my top choices - Japan, Austria or Switzerland! 'Cause i'm a vegetarian, i want Japan and hopefully they realize that :) but i heard japan was a pretty popular choice this year! which may be an issue!
oh well, where ever I am sent will be the place where i'm meant to be .. i hope!
but it was great to know i'm an outbound exchange student!

I'm going to Temagami for 4 days in February, it's going to be SO cold! i went out and bought big clunky waterproof boots and long johns 'cause it's going to be super cold! but it will be amazing. i go to temagami inb the summer time, so going in the winter will be great, but yet so different.
but i'm so excited :)