The Experience Of An Exchange Student Experience

I rushed over to check in and retrieve my boarding pass. Lately a lot of planes have been going missing, which is all I could think about the whole time. “Flight 23 is now boarding.” I carried my carry on baggage onto the plane. I looked down at my boarding pass and realized that I was already at my seat. There was a man sitting in my designated seat. I was too nervous about the flight to even question him. I sat down next to him. I looked out the window and noticed in the distance that dark cumulus clouds were being formed. There was a strong wind that hit my side of the plane, furiously shaking the whole aircraft. Having hope was the only thing that came to mind every time negative thoughts would

As soon as I stepped off the airplane all I could think was, “what on Earth did I get myself into?” This place was hotter than hell and full of people buzzing around speaking a language beyond foreign to me. It was absolutely nothing like what I was expecting to see. Everyday we had the same schedule; we would play basketball against the local teens and after the games we would give the

Getting on our plane was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to, especially since my dad couldn’t come with us that day. December 8, 2010 was the day my family decided that moving to America would give me and my brother many more opportunities, keep in mind my parents hadn’t told us that we were moving to the US. I remember I had been hugging my dad saying goodbye to him and my mom had to come and grab me away from him. His face was through the window was the last thing I remember seeing before buckling my seat belt and laying down on my mother’s shoulder. Once we had landed my mother woke me up and said to me that I should help out with the luggage and the other belongings we had to take. The night went by probably faster than

In the months, weeks, and eventually days leading up to my flight to Germany the panic was gnawing away at me. Despite the fact that this wasn’t the first time I was venturing out without my parents or even my first time on a plane, it was my first time for a myriad of other experiences in my life. My first international adventure, my first time living with a family that wasn’t my own, and my first time being surrounded by people speaking a different language; all of which began with a simple decision to cross the threshold between the jet bridge and the plane.

When we got off of the plane, it was a brand new experience for me. I was now in a country that I had never been to before, and where I did not know the language spoken. I was nervous that I would not be able to communicate with anyone. After going through customs, I found my husband. He hugged us cheerfully because he had not seen us in two years, since our daughter was born. He had moved to the United States in the 80’s in search for a better future, for better opportunities for his family.

Right as I a walked out the airplane I heard unfamiliar language being spoken around me. People were buzzing around as my heart started to beat fast. My life started to change dramatically, then it struck me it was around 18 hours

An old man in dark skin with a weird smile on his face, came to ask me for money and his hand kept touching my bag while I was standing outside the airport and waiting for someone to pick me up. He was in ragged and dirty clothes with messy and long hair. The shoes on his feet were barely seeing the original color of the shoes.

The very next week I was ready to experience what it’s like being in another country with different customs and culture. July 3 the day was finally here, I grabbed my suitcase and met with my grandma and we got ready for our flight. As I board the airplane, I had butterflies in my stomach. I think to myself “Wow this is really happening”. A few minutes past by and we take off. The take off was probably the greatest part of the flight, I wasn’t scared or nervous I was having so much fun. After 6-7 hours of being on a plane we finally land in Guatemala City. Leaving the airport everything gets my attention. Kids on the street playing soccer, buildings all next to each other, and color everywhere. I smell different foods from left to right, I'm amazed at everything, it's something I’ll never

The 14-hour flight felt short maybe due to the excitement or the fear of feeling alone, but as soon as I opened my eyes we had arrived. I saw my mother immediately as she came to give me a hug, she was with a man who I had not yet met, he familiarized himself with me stating himself as my mother's boyfriend Neil. Carlo left with his wife soon after and Neil drove us to my new home. We stopped over for food at an In-N-Out, my first attempt at eating at an American fast food restaurant. Hearing and seeing the faces in that restaurant sent a startling shock to my spine, sweat slowly accumulating inside the palms of my hands. We approached the lady behind the register as she asked for what we wanted to order. Her voice seemed almost unnatural to me, her hair looked seemingly blond, and her eyes were blue, features I had not before seen. When the food arrived the portions of the burger were unlike the size of those in the Philippines, strangely this to me this made the world felt as though it was larger as I compared it to the fast food I enjoyed daily back home. When we finally arrived at the house I had noticed it was already past twelve which was odd as I left the Philippines around a similar time. I was not yet tired and my mother did not want to leave me alone to sleep by myself so she set up a bed for us in the living room. It was when we laid down that a greater realization struck me as to why my aunt was crying. My aunt and cousins were gone. I do not

As soon as the door opened, the heat hit me. It was like putting a hot iron in front of my face. But it felt even worse as there was a slight wind which pushed the heat towards me. My body was surrounded in a blanket of heat and I even started to sweat slightly. My uncle told me to wait by the lift as he went to collect the car so I wouldn’t have to walk as far and drag my suitcase along. While I waited, I took time to look around at the surroundings. I could see mountains which stretched towards the clouds and the airport behind me. There were a vast number of people walking around from their flight looking drowsy and with no energy. The frequent red double-decker bus also came and a few planes flew above my head. I didn’t even have to look, but I could hear the planes departing and arriving. The planes all looked the same in the sky, big and white with some sort of logo. During the wait, I took a few steps to take away the cramp. Although I had trainers on, I could feel and see that the floor was new. The concrete looked

“Baby, I am not thrilled about you going to Oklahoma especially by yourself” my mother says dramatically. “They’ve been having all those really bad tornadoes lately and I’m worried.” She looked so woeful. “Mom, I will be fine. Pray about it.” She laughed and said “Have a great flight and call me as soon as you land”. See she was worried about the tornadoes, but I was more worried about the flight since this was my very first flight. Not only that, but also I have a terrible fear of falling coupled with extremely high anxiety. So I was sure I was in for an interestingly traumatic trip. Boarding the plane was intensely confusing, but I managed to find my seat without too much trouble. Of course I requested a window seat. The logic I used to support this decision was that if the plane was crashing I needed to see it, I do not know exactly how this would help but it made me feel a little better. When the flight took off I was shaking so hard the passenger next to me noticed. He was an older Caucasian man with a friendly smile conjoined with a strong southern accent. “Lil’ missy, is this your first time flying?” “Yes Sir it is.” He looks at me with a smile and says “You’ll be fine. You should enjoy the view. I see you have your Bible with you.” I said “yes sir I do.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and said “believe that He is going to take care of you and enjoy his creation.” The word

We planned on staying in Cancun for five days so we had to pack quite a bit of clothing. We all had our own suitcase of all the things we needed on our trip like soap, deodorant, cologne etc. It was go time, we loaded up the car with our things and we took off. We had to make a stop before we went to the airport which was the bank to get cash for our trip so we didn’t have to use any debit cards so nobody could steal it from us then we headed to the airport. Arriving at the airport we payed extra parking so we could park in a car garage. Getting out of the car all of us took a deep breath and said here we go. As we headed to the doors of the airport we all were extremely ready for this. We weighed our bags and off they went onto the plane. We went and found our flight number and waited for the plane attendant to tell to aboard the plane. As we were waiting exhausted and tired we finally got to aboard. We found our seats and looked out the window the whole time in a plane I call a “Puddle Jumper” it is a small plane for short distance flights. We were flying to Denver first so a couple hour flight so it wasn’t too bad. I closed my eyes and to sleep I went in second. Next thing I know when I awake that we were already on the ground landing in Denver and I thought to myself “Dang I was passed

Turbulence violently jolted the Boeing 777-300ER to and fro thrusting my petite frame into my stodgy neighbors, as I apologized to no avail. Internally, my heart was trembling as I yearned for my family, friends, and everything once familiar to me. Gazing around hopelessly, I cringed at the stares from strangers who already seemed to single me out as an intruder. This uneasy feeling that I thought would never be resolved vanished a grueling twelve and a half hours later as the plane touched down at Narita International Airport. Exiting the tarmac I felt anew; stepping into the crisp Japanese air I felt an intoxicating level of euphoria. The previous dread I had experienced surprisingly turned into a swelling curiosity. Unbeknownst to me at

My grandpa told me to be safe and his mustache tickled as he kissed my cheek. I hugged and kissed my grandma then walked to the line. A sign and security employee directed me to place my backpack on a x-ray conveyor then walk through the gate. On the other side was my escort who would take me to the plane. She brought me to the plane and I boarded before the other passengers. I relaxed until the first passengers arrived. I quietly listened to their conversations and waited for the passengers who would sit next to me in the center isle. The doors were shut and still my row was empty except for me.

I woke up from my nap when I felt a light tap on my shoulder by my brother, Alex. He told me that it was time for the plane to begin its descent so I gathered my belongings and adjusted my seat until it was upright. As the airplane began to descend, I was filled with excitement and enthusiasm. I could feel so much energy rush through my veins as my ears popped and I finally heard the flight attendant say, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Singapore Changi Airport!”