Adventure, yeah @lyzinaustralia - Tumblr Blog

Hi! Can I ask you where you were based while you were in Australia, like the state or something? Thanks :)

Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia

Fun fact

Two years ago today I landed in Sydney Australia.

Post exchange: Life update Well ever since I've gotten back, lots and lots of things have happened so I'll just give a brief overview. 1. After I got back I threw myself straight into work and swimming. My swim season was great this year, I PR'd almost every meet in the 500 free, and I finished first in the league in my event. 2. Just a winter sunset in WNY, those have really been missed. 3. A Christmas tree a real live Christmas tree! You don't see those much in Australia ;-) it was great to go back into full blown over the top American Christmas spirit. 4. CCNY, a college I was really looking into for a while. Still am, but not my #1 anymore. 5. Cute little tattoo I got in mid January. Peonies symbolize self growth and improvement. 6. So I got this job at Marks Pizza lol, this is the crew. 7. A little snow view from my front porch. 8. My Belgian exchange student Aude who is living with me from November to March, I love her haha. 9. My acceptance letter to university of Arizona in Tucson! I am making my decision and going to their school. They are giving me a good deal of money, have exactly what I need and is located in a beautiful city. Couldn't ask for much more. 10. Twenty pounds slimmer since exchange, or like 9 kilos. It's so nice to have gotten rid of the exchange weight haha. So worth it though!

#rotary youth exchange #exchange weight #university of Arizona #rye #exchange student

Hello, I just stumbled across your blog, and I'm glad that you (seem to) love my country :) How's settling it back home going? I'm mostly messaging you because it's very strange seeing something I walk past every day in little ol' adelaide show up in a random place on the internet - Adelaide's Malls Balls (the big silver balls which are iconic for us but no one is quite sure why they're there in the first place) Thanks for posting that photo :) Have a great day

Wow I'm so sorry I'm just getting to this now! That's so awesome you found my blog though, I'm all settled in back home for the most part, but I do get Australia sick occasionally. Adelaide was an amazing stop around the country. Thanks for the message :)

Another exchange tattoo for my second home

#tattoo #rotary youth exchange

Hey, I saw you were from around buffalo and I was wondering what district you went with RYE through? I'm from Rochester and I was wondering if maybe we were in the same district! :) (I want to exchange 16-17)

Nope we are different districts, but close! I'm from D7090.

vvolph

Going on an exchange will make you the happiest and the saddest you will ever feel in your life

I have a quick question- you went through Rotary right? And you're from America so you speak English? And they do too in Aus.? How can you do that?? We've all been told (in florida) that rotary won't exchange with same language speaking nations.

Yes I did rotary youth exchange yes I'm from the U.S. and yes I speak English and yes I went to australia where they also speak English lol. Your district may not like the idea of exchange to same language countries, that's why it isn't an option where you live. My district does and has been for a while. I think that exchange with a country that speaks English as well is not a bad thing. It is still exchange!! With a different culture, different people, food, music and different living. Plus Aussies have their own version of English and I love it.

I am landed, home safe and sound back in America. It feels weird to be home, but.. Right. It feels right. The jetlag isn't the greatest, as I'm typing this up wide awake at 4:40am, but I'll get over it eventually. I was welcomed back by my mom, sister, grandparents and awesome friend Katie. The flights were good, I made some good friends and I stuck with them through flight changes. None of them were exchange students. But they were American, so that counts haha. It was funny, all of the Americans thought I was Australian from the accent. So silly :) only problem is I forgot my wallet on an airplane I believe.. There was nothing important and little cash so I guess it's alright, but I'm not too happy about it. And so here I am, back to American life. Let's get this show on the road.

#rotary youth exchange

Before, July 2014 After, June 2015

#rotary youth exchange

And so the end has come

I fly out of Melbourne tomorrow at 8am. It's my last day with my host family as I'm staying with my counsellor the last night. I will miss my host family heaps, but I know that I will come back to see them. I'm just blown away at the fact that the year has passed. I am devastated to leave my best friends, it's going to be hard for a while. But it isn't goodbye.. I will arrive back in Buffalo at 11pm, very jet lagged, blazer filled, and excited to see my family. Leaving is scaring. Arriving is frightening. It was bound to happen, and I'm ready to face it now. I come home to the same place but I am now not the same person, but a better me.

#rotary youth exchange

My best friends,

Thank you so much for this year. Thank you for always being there for me when I didn’t have a clue what was going on in this strange country, when I was homesick, and when I needed a shoulder to cry on. I loved our bitch sessions, the crazy parties, sleepovers, beach days and nights out. You guys get me, and it will be really hard back home without you guys. But this is not a goodbye, I promise that. This year was amazing because of you guys. I can’t wait for the memories to come 🇺🇸💕🇦🇺

#rotary youth exchange

myadventuresintaiwan

The End

The ending of an exchange is scary in so many ways that I don’t even know how to put it in words. We will have to say goodbye to this country that we now consider a home, and say goodbye to so many wonderful people, not even knowing if we will be ever be able to meet them again, and knowing we will never be all of us together like this. It is saying goodbye to the little things that we do here, to the food, to all the stuff we are used to now. Saying goodbye to the life we built in one year, all to be taken away. It is going back home and facing how everything has changed in the year we haven’t been there, how everything has moved on without us, and how we have moved on without everything. Seeing how everyone started their countdown for their returning, and seeing your own days left slipping. Leaving a life behind is truly frightening. I admire exchange students so much, and all the things we have to go through, you all guys are amazing, you are all so brave. Let’s face this last month we’ve got like it’s the last one of our lives. I really hope we can meet one more time. If this is not the best year of our lives, our life will surely be incredible.

1 week left in Australia

oh man oh man i dont know how to feel what even are feelings

#rotary youth exchange

Sorrento back beach It was the first place I visited when I arrived in the country July 24th. And now, on June 5th its one of my last. I'm so happy I came here one last time to watch the waves crash against the rocks and climb around the rock pools.

#rotary youth exchange