A Changed Mindset

Life tends to never go as planned, I think we all know that though. Before I came here (to Slovakia), I was dead set on keeping this blog updated at least once a week, and making sure everyone back home was up to date on the adventures of my crazy exchange life. I think that has been proven wrong…by nearly three months of dead air from my side. But, life really does lead you down roads you can’t plan out in advance, so I will blame life for my absence from this blog (it is probably the easiest thing to blame anyways). So, here is my last update for 2018, and hopefully I will get a few more in before I go home.

Exchange life is…crazy to say the least. I think I came here expecting that though. What I didn’t expect, was how much I would truly come to love it. Now, that’s not saying there hasn’t been challenges. Gosh, there have been SO many challenges. But, to be an exchange student is to learn how to roll with the punches and continue living life to the fullest. Some days are harder than others (for example, Thanksgiving was not the easiest), and some days are so incredibly boring, I feel like I would prefer to sit in an eight-hour seminar of economics (not really, please do not invite me to an economics seminar…ever…please). However, most days are full of little adventures. Whether it is my first time having a conversation with a local (and them not immediately knowing I am not from Slovakia), or just going to dance class with William; each day has something I can be thankful for. Sometimes I fail to recognize just how crazy my life is here, and I get a little bored with it. Those days are few and far between though, and I cannot imagine wanting to leave this little country (despite the intense urge to go home my first month or so).

So, I suppose this blog post is more so to let everyone know that I am indeed alive, and not truly a description of the hundreds of tiny adventures I have experienced these past few months. However, I am going to try to keep this a little more active, especially with my big adventures that are coming up. So that everybody can be caught up on a timeline of my future adventures, I will try to summarize them a bit. On February 10th, my ski week in Belianske Tatry begins, and I will be there until the 16th. This will be my very first-time skiing, well snowboarding (skiing just isn’t cool enough for me), and I am incredibly excited for it. After that, I will be switching host families and then I have roughly two months until Eurotour. After Eurotour, exchange is going to fly by in roughly .2 seconds, so I am currently trying to enjoy the time passing a little slower since I know I will miss it once the time starts flying by.

In the months I have been absent, I have survived all of the major holidays (including my birthday), two language tests (and I have officially completed all of my language tests), two official rotary events, and a lot of rotary meetings. I have gone to my first hockey game (HK Nitra is the best team in Slovakia, and I am willing to fight if any other exchange students want to argue) and I have celebrated Christmas the “Slovak” way. My communication with those back home has become scarce, but I think that is just evidence of the good times I am having here. So, if I don’t respond right away, or I seem short in my messages, please know that I am just caught up in this “second life” I have built here, and it has nothing to do with you.

Reaching the halfway point in my exchange a few days ago caused me to take a look at what I have accomplished so far, and just how far I have come from the beginning. While maybe I didn’t tell everyone just how difficult the first month here was, I am positive most can see a change of mindset about being here over these past couple of months. While I can’t find myself wanting to stay in Slovakia for my whole life, I truly am so thankful to have this opportunity to spend a year here. It has shown me a lot about myself that I never would’ve realized otherwise, and I have made some absolutely phenomenal friendships here.

I do miss some aspects of home though. I miss working (shout out to all my amazing old coworkers who still check up on me to this day) and making money, I hate having to rely on my host family and rotary while being here. Another thing that I truly miss is driving. I knew that would be the thing I missed the most and while it isn’t the absolute number one, it is a VERY close number two. I had hoped that I would overcome my pickiness with food while being here, but alas, that has not occurred. However, I am very ready to go back to the US for the food (sorry Slovakia). Other than those things, I am doing quite well here, and I am not looking forward to going home. I do love and miss all of you though, and I hope everyone is doing great while I am away.

Love,

Haley