The Goodbye

Lido di Jesolo
Euro Tour 2016

This one is only in English to truly capture the emotion that I felt when this happened.
Denne her blog er kun på engelsk, fordi jeg kan ikke forklar det så godt på Dansk. Undskyld!

This was written several weeks back.

It's recently hit me that my exchange program is coming to an end in just under a month. I've started travelling much more than I did before, and I'm struggling to find time. I am thoroughly enjoying myself, but at the same time, I find it hard to believe that this is all going to come to an end. Of course, the end of my exchange doesn't mean the end of my life. Being on the exchange has changed me in ways that I never thought anything could. I am the same person as I was last year, but different in many ways; and I'm very happy with the change this exchange has caused in me.

My Class - 1x

An exchange program puts you out  in the world, no filters. For the first time, you find yourself alone. Of course, you have amazing host families, a counsellor and friends, but you don't have your little cocoon any longer. I have experienced all of that first hand. Oftentimes, people hear only the good things about the exchange program; the things that really motivate them to do it. However, doing it requires patience and a lot of courage. It's so hard, you feel like giving up so many times. But with a little bit of courage and determination, you're always able to listen to the voice inside your head that tells you to go on and face a new day, no matter how difficult the previous one was.

My counsellor
Arvid

I recently had a cousin who went to France for the Rotary Youth Short Term Exchange Program. On her first day of school, she asked me for advice and tips, and I simply said, "Not many people may talk to you. You have to be prepared for that." As interesting as exchange students may be, most people don't talk to them, be it because they are too shy, or because they don't want to get attached to a person who will be in their lives for such a short period of time. Everyone stares at you out of curiosity, and strangers judge you for your inability to speak their language and an odd accent. But if I had the chance, I would go through that all over again, because it was all worth the experience, friendships and knowledge that I gained.

Venice
Euro Tour 2016

I am certainly going to miss Denmark, and everything that came along with it. It's a little hard to ignore a whole year in your life, especially when it has been one of the most important years in your life. I credit my exchange program for making me the person I am right now, a much more confident and independent person. I have done more in a year than I have done in a lifetime. It's hard to imagine that I knew none of these people a year back. They were completely unknown to me; everyone who I'm with right now, were nothing to me but foreigners. Today, I can call them my family, my friends, and people I will remember for the rest of my life. I can't even imagine how much my host families must trust me to leave me alone in their houses. They have done so much for me, it's unbelievable. Yet, now, they are like bonus families to me. I cannot imagine living without them.

All my Danish families

And yet, with this post, I say goodbye to Denmark. Goodbye and thank you to everyone who helped me and made my exchange the best year of my life. I will never be able to forget you, and I hope you feel the same. I do not know when or if I will see you again, but every small thing that you did for me meant a lot to me.
Mange tak til jer alle sammen. Det har været en fantastisk oplevelse. Jeg kan aldrig glemme dette år.
Farvel, og vi ses.

Author's note (edited): I have decided to end my blog with this post, but that is not the end of my blogging. I will soon be starting  new blog for general things that I want to express my opinion on. The link will be right here soon.