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My AFS exchange daughter is Bangkok bound! 😥 Sad to see her go. God speed. We hope to see you soon! Let not the world change your smile but do change the world with your smile! #afs #afsusa #afsthailand #afsnj #afseffect #afsexperience #afsprograms #afsexchange

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This is not goodbye

https://youtu.be/SMWerxmyI7g

The months turned into weeks, weeks into days. Now, we count the hours. As the hours pass I am flooded with a familiar feeling that I haven’t felt for a very long time. As a child when I first emigrated to this wonderful country, leaving my family behind and again as a young adult leaving my AFS host family, this emotion engulfs you, totally. There is a sense of loss, an emptiness, an emotion often indescribable with words. Heartache sets in accompanied by a stream of tears for most. I have felt it as an exchange student, I have seen it with exchange students as an AFS counsellor, and I have seen it in host families as an AFS end of stay bus trip chaperone as families tried to cling onto their beloved AFS son or daughter as they leave for their home country. And yet, here I am, facing the ever so familiar feeling, again. A feeling so powerful that there is nothing you can do about it. One would think I would be used to it by now. But, no. You never get used to it. And thankfully so, for these feelings make you feel, feel ALIVE, instead of just going through the motions of living, like a zombie in a world of the living undead. You can deny it, you can suppress it, you can even try to hide it. But eventually, it will catch up to you like a rogue wave on a peaceful strip of beach and it will rock you. This is part of the AFS effect you feel when you open your heart to love. As you say your farewells, a last minute hug or a long warm embrace, flashes of wonderful memories come flooding in, adding to the pent up emotions you’re trying to suppress. As a host parent you can only hope you'ved imparted some wisdom unto this young adult who has become such a big part of your life who now occupies a big part of your heart. You pray that wisdom will guide them safely through the maze of adulthood. The time has come to say, see you later alligator and hope to hear the response of, in a while crocodile! This is not goodbye. How can one say goodbye to someone that’s now part of your being. You can’t….I can’t. It is simply ciao for now or ¡hasta la vista baby! We’ll come visit you for sure, just to make sure you'ved settled in and that all is well. Once a parent, always a parent. To those who struggle with the decision of whether to host or not, you just have to do it. There is never a perfect time. Life is full of surprises, ups and downs if you will. You just have to commit to love, to living life. Once you commit, do not look back. Open your heart and get ready to live! I regret nothing in life. I am where I am today because of the choices I made. I am where I need to be, and part of that is because of my AFS experience. To Adisa, who’s about to embark on a wonderful adventure, the next phase if you will. Live your life to the fullest. Always choose to be happy. Apply the knowledge you’ve acquired and be prepared to be amazed! Share the knowledge. What good is knowledge if you cannot share it. And when you enter into a relationship, and you will, make sure he/she shares and supports your dreams and aspirations. Let it be someone who can help you reach the stars! Communicate your feelings to your loved ones, always. We are not mind readers. Trust is the base of every relationship. Do not break the trust for it is very difficult to regain, if not impossible. Do not ever put yourself into a situation where you will end up having to say I’m sorry. Sorry is the hardest word to say. Tempus fugit. Do not give up on your dreams! We shall see each other again, in a dream, on skype, somewhere in this world, or the next. ¡Vaya con Díos mi hija! Let not the world change your smile but let your smile change the world!🤓 Be true to yourself. Remember the ten seconds rule when dealing with family and the three seconds rule for friends and strangers. We will miss not having you around. 😥 You are loved more than you’ll ever know! Remember, you always have a home with us wherever we may be.🙏🏻 Smile, always! 😁 As we part I know the dam will break as the river flows into the night and slumber wraps her arms around me quieting my restless soul. Happy trails. Until we meet again. Sawasdee krab.🙏🏻

https://youtu.be/SMWerxmyI7g

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