My Life as a Rotary Youth Exchange Student

I met my first host family. They are a family of four, but Julie, the daughter, will go on exchange to Taiwan tomorrow. Alan, the son, was gone because he was in Manchester as a camp counselor. They are very nice and will help me with my Czech as long as I help them with their English. They like to travel a lot, and also do a lot of biking and competitive orienteering.

Thomas Lahp Gwong ERICKSON

I am from Anchorage Alaska, USA. I like badminton, board games, cross country skiing, hiking, and anything else outside.

The next day though, was amazing. We went out, visited a few places in the city, then we went bowling, which was super fun, and hilarious, specially because of the fact that I got 11 points in total, probably being the worst out of all exchange students🤩. But we played and laughed a lot and it was super fun.

Pedro Alvares

During my time in Czechia, I gradually got used to the various living habits, weather and food here. I really enjoy my life here and all the things I have learned here. My host family has tried their best to help me with all difficulties at all times.

MAO KAI-CHIH

The part that I liked the most was the bowling, a very nice experience, I stopped watching the clock and started having fun with my friends, without a doubt I would do it again.

Luis Manuel Fernández

I am Luis, a Mexican guy with a desire for adventure and a passion for sports

I think the best thing to do when coming on exchange is remove any idea of what you think you know about that country and forget about the snacks you don’t get to have anymore like Tim tams. And just experience everything first hand. Take the rotary saying of saying yes to the opportunities you get and apply to the little things in everyday life.

Kye Oag

Without a doubt, this was my best week during my exchange. There I had memories and moments that I am sure I will never forget. The people, the way everything happened, the weather, the place…

Pedro Barbosa

Living in a foreign country is never easy, especially when you are away from your family and friends. At times, I missed the familiar comforts of home. However, I found that the best way to combat these feelings was to immerse myself in the local culture and meet new people. Overall, my exchange year in the Czech Republic is an incredible experience.

Samuel Monnard

Hello
I’m a french inbound for 2022/23. I love sports especially volley. I have been playing piano for 7 years and I like to compose and improvise.

I started off slow, making my way down the gentle slope, trying to keep my balance and stay in control. But as I got more comfortable on my ski, I began to pick up speed and really enjoy the rush of wind in my face. Soon I was gliding down the mountain with easy, weaving in and out of other skiers and feeling like I was on top of the world…

David Fahimi

This year is probably the year where I have constantly stepped out of my comfort zone, trying things that I never thought I would do, like skiing, skating, biking, walking on my own in the city, etc.  I’ve also met amazing people, from all over the world, who would have thought I would become best friends with someone from Australia who is completely on the other side of the Earth. 

Milca Villalpando

Mexico –> Czech Republic
I´m 17 years old, and I´m from City of Mexico, Mexico
I will be an outbound to the Czech Republic in 2022 to 2023

Food is often considered to be a love language of sorts as you are making and sharing something you like with others. I have definitely felt love while eating homemade foods here in Slovakia as well as when I make food for others. I plan on sharing more food with my host family, and I hope they share more with me. I cannot wait to bring my favorite dishes back to the United States to share it with my own family.

Gelisse Seidel

Dobrý den!! I’m Gelisse, and I am 18 years old. I’ve been living in Denmark for the past year. ( will update once I learn more Slovak)