Becoming Kiwi

illbedoingmybest asked: Thank you :) I am sure you know exactly how I am feeling! I am so overjoyed, yesterday was a great day. The last thing I need is my parents full permission and for them to pay the first deposit to secure my spot. Fingers crossed :D I think you are going to love it here, we have everything that you mentioned! and plenty of sheep :DDD So many, I can't remember if this is still true but at one point, there were more sheep than people in NZ. Well done on your speech btw :) Did it go well? xo

Yes, I know exactly how you feel. :)

I’m excited about the sheep. XD (Does that sound weird?)

My speech went well, yes. I got a few laughs. :) Intentionally.

kori-brazil asked: Are you a part of the Central States Rotary Youth Exchange? I know that it has parts of Canada, but I'm not sure. If so, are you going to be at the huge conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan?

Unfortunately I am not!

I’ve been told a few times about the trip from other exchange students in America, but my district is not invited.

If you are attending, however, I hope you have a fantastic time!

illbedoingmybest asked: I look forward to it :) I am hoping to be a rotary exchange student, I will know if I have been accepted by this Wednesday which is crazily exciting! Hopefully I will go to Germany, that is my dream :) Why did you choose NZ?

Best of luck to you! I really hope that you’re accepted, and even more so that you get to go to Germany. :)

Germany was my second choice, and now that I’ve learned more about it, I would say it is equally fantastic in my mind with New Zealand. My country was assigned to me, but I wanted New Zealand because of their flora, fauna, and odd physical distance-isolation with the world. Their landscapes fascinate me, as do their accents. ;D

Plus, I think I am really going to like their sheep. XD

illbedoingmybest asked: I would love to know which district you are coming to in NZ! I have been checking your blog daily for any news but not yet :/ It's just crazy to think that I might meet you at an orientation of mine :O I hope you are feeling better, your weekend looked awesome :D From Shannon xo

Thank you very much! I don’t know my district yet, but as soon as I do I will be super happy and will post it on here. :)

You’re a rotary exchange student? Where are you going?

Is there anything anyone following this blog would like to see? Any specific information or pictures about New Zealand? Any questions for me?

I’m just curious because I haven’t been active lately and I want to be available for comments or questions. :)

Hope everyone is having a fantastic day-

And if you aren’t, like me, SEND ME A NOTE!

WE SHALL BE UNHAPPY, DEPRESSED LOSERS.

BUT TOGETHERRRRRRRRRR.

All my love,

Elizabeth~

I just got back from my last Orientation weekend in Canada two hours ago.

All the inbounds and outbounds in my district got together and spent four days in Ottawa, going to museums and other well known buildings.

It was a fantastic weekend.

Unfortunately, however, it had to end.

Tears. There were A LOT of tears.

Rotary has made me cry more than anything in my life.

But without Rotary, my life wouldn’t be as amazing as it is.

Thank you so much to all the Rotarians who put in volunteered hours, as well as the Rotex’s (previous exchange students), and the people of Ottawa for tolerating all 33 exchange students.

To the inbounds and outbounds I spent my days with, you mean the world to me and I wish you all the best of luck with your travels. I sincerely hope that I meet you all again at some point in my life, hopefully sooner than later.

People through around the words “I love you” a lot these days, but when I say it about you guys, it comes from the bottom of my heart.

You are incredible.

I love you all.

Hello, I am alive.

I’ve just been waiting for an email from my first host family to tell me where I will be staying.

It’s very stressful, waiting, but I’m very excited just thinking that I will eventually get to talk to wonderful people who will be my host family for a while.

In other news, my district’s last orientation weekend in next weekend-May long weekend (19th-22nd) in Ottawa. That will be fun. :) I’m looking forward to seeing all the inbounds and fellow outbounds for 4 days, as well as some specific people I’ve gotten very close with over the last 4 months!

I haven’t been studying Maori in the last month, because of a few reasons.

1. People from New Zealand keep telling me it’s not very useful

and

2. I have VERY limited resources to learn it with

So I will keep practicing what I have learned, but probably will not expand my knowledge of the language.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading

-Elizabeth

illbedoingmybest asked: Hey, I think I recently asked you a question saying that I was from NZ and stuff so if you have any questions feel free to ask, I live close to wellington btw :) Also, I did just change my url from "myheartgoesouttoyou" to this, you were liking and reblogging me lots so I thought you should know :) Shannon xx

Thank you for telling me! I love your posts. :)

I’ll be sure to put my questions out there if I have any, thanks!