Why Japan??

Why Japan??
Everyone asks this! Why Japan? Hmmm...Well, first of all I don't get to choose where I'm going.  Second of all, I have always been into Japanese stuff! In rotary you go through a series of interviews and at the final interview you give the wonderful people at the front desk a paper with your country choice! Here were my choices 1 being where I most wanted to go:
1 Belgium
2 India
3 Japan
4 France
5 Germany
I know quite different choices! That is me!  As you can see Japan was my third choice! not to bad! The rotary volunteers choose where they think you will do best!
To go off of that I recently had a my first orientation! SO Much FUN!! I made so many new friends, from everywhere! Everyone was so nice! no DRAMA, and everyone could relate to you! It was so nice.  I was sad when the weekend ended but everything has to end sometime.  We did some role playing and it was the best thing I have ever done...I laughed so much.  I can't wait until next time.  Back to why.  I am extremely happy to be going to Japan!  I can't wait to be on the plane and meet my family!
I'm not sure what else to talk about, for now I'll close!
Sarah A. Cook
P.S. please don't forget to comment!

Introductions!

             Hi my name is Sarah! I'm giving up my life in a small town in upstate New York to live in Japan for a year.  Where in Japan? Not sure yet. I'm going to try to blog my fun times, sad times, and all the times in between! I'm going through Rotary Youth Exchange! I'm extremely excited and hope you enjoy my blog! I will try to be as consistent as I can with postings but I can't promise anything, if you have read any other exchange student blogs...it varies! There are 2 other teens besides me in my district that are going to Japan! I'm excited, nervous, and not quiet sure what to feel! i will be going during my sophomore year.  I will miss all my friends (for those who are reading) :) and I will miss my loving family so much.  At the same time, so I'm not just focusing on the what I'll miss, I'm mega excited to go to Japan, join another family, life, culture, and learn Japanese.  What a challenge that will be, but it will be welcomed with open arms!  I've started learning and so far I know cat, dog, juice, and book! :) It's almost Christmas and I've realized that I won't be here next Christmas...it makes me  slightly sad,  but then I think about all the good times that I'll be having in Japan!  Everything still is slightly surreal! I'll be talking to my friends in school and one of them will be like "Oh my Gosh Sarah you won't be here next year!!" and I'll  reply "Yeah I know." I can say those words for awhile but it still hasn't yet fully set in! Well if I don't write before the holidays!  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Sarah <><

The Journey!

            I am in the middle of my rotary journey.  I started in early October and have finally been accepted and know where I, Sarah Cook, will spend the next year of my life! I started at my local level. Then having heard from the local district that I was accepted I started filling out my final application.  This was an extremely long application.  Rotary had a Christmas party and all of the acceptance came and joined in in the end.  We talked and talked,  finally the meeting was called,  we all took our seats on the bleachers.  My mom, my dad, and I all sitting waiting, for the  next hint of my next year.  This journey is like a treasure hunt!  You never know where you will end up and what your final outcome will be.  We sat and waited and waited.  Finally, They started naming the countries and who would be going where.  They called everyone of my choices except Japan! I finally knew when they said my name that I would be going to Japan.  For a whole year I would be placing myself in a new culture and a new place everyday! I knew this would be hard but the holidays and the time to think made it more hard! There are two others besides me who are going to Japan! Yay new friends! :)  Well Ill close for now and continue in another post! Hope everyone had a lovely Holiday!,
Sarah A. Cook <><