Lindenwood Christmas Conference!

     This weekend was the Inbound/Outbound Christmas Conference at the Lindenwood Retreat Center in Donaldson, IN. For this Conference, all of our districts Inbounds and future Outbounds had to bring either a main dish or dessert from our country to share with everyone. There were also many activities to help all the Inbounds and Outbounds get to know each other. Here is who was all there:

Inbounds:                                           Outbounds:

Linda (Finland)                                               Maggie (me)

Bryant (Taiwan)                                              Sophie

Bernardo  (Bolivia)                                          Sydney 

David  (Spain)                                                 Erin

Por  (Taiwan)                                                  Hannah

Zuzia   (Poland)                                               Nicole (couldn't come) 

Juna    (Belgium)

Daniela   (Ecuador)

Bruno  (Brazil)  (couldn't come) 

We also had to share a room with someone who we hadn't met before. So, most of the rooms were 1 Outbound and 1 Inbound. I shared a room with Daniela, the girl from Ecuador. She is one of the nicest girls I have ever met. I had such a good time talking and spending time with her. All of the Inbounds were so nice and really easy to talk to. All of them were willing to share advice with us, the Outbounds, about their experiences on foreign exchange. I couldn't ask for a better group. Our next conference is in February. I don't think I'll be able to wait that long before seeing them all again! 

In this picture, from left to right, is David (Spain), Bernardo (Bolivia) & Matt (from France, was an exchange student here five years ago)

And here, from left to right, is Daniela (Ecuador) , Linda (Finland) and Zuzia (Poland).

Hopefully I will be finding out my host country in the next month or two. Or three.

--Maggie

 

Let the Preparations begin!

I just bought this book for .19 cents off of Amazon today! As I was looking through the free "preview" that Amazon offers, I realized how much ACTUAL useful information this book has. 

For example, look at the picture below. The book has all these different chapters designated to help you learn and prepare for each stage of your exchange. From my past experience in Poland, all these major areas of doubt and worry are exactly what I had to deal with. Trust me, from the looks of it, this book is spot on. And that is why I got it. I wanted to have something I could reference before, during and after the exchange to prove to myself that what I am feeling is completely normal and that everyone else goes through these same emotions too. 

Also, I have my third Rotary Lunch tomorrow! I am really looking forward to it. And another thing, this weekend is the OUTBOUND/INBOUND CHRISTMAS CONFERENCE AT ANCILLA COLLEGE! I absolutely cannot wait to see all my favorite Outbounds again (They are these four other girls that have also been accepted by my district as next year's exchange students). Nicole, Sydney, Sophie and Hannah are all such nice girls and it will be really fun to be able to see them this weekend! 

Bye for now,

Maggie