Hello! This is my very first post ever on my new blog..so I’ll try to make this as painless as possible.

I should maybe do a brief little description of myself so people will know some basic facts. I am currently 15 years old and I live in a very very small town in Massachusetts. I have been approved to go on a foreign exchange program with Rotary Youth Exchange. Three days ago I was told that I am going to Denmark! I will most likely be leaving in July and returning about ten months later.

Rotary Exchange Students are required to fill out a list of five countries that they would want to go to most. My list really didn’t reflect where I wanted to go to most. I love almost all European countries. I have taken a few years of French so I had to include Belgium and Switzerland. I would have had France on my list, but I was told it was almost near impossible to get in, so I settled for Belgium. The Netherlands was included because I am fascinated with Dutch things. Norway was fourth on my list and then Denmark came last.

I honestly was not expecting to go to Denmark. I put it on my list and then almost completely forgot about it. Now that I have found out I am going there, I have fallen in love with it! Denmark is so pretty (from the pictures on Google Images), the weather seems nice (anything is nicer than New England freezing weather), the people are happy (Denmark is literally the Happiest Place on Earth. Take that Disneyland), and the Rotary is very strong there. These are all just amazing qualities.

The only thing I am just terrified of is something that cannot be avoided. The language. I have been listenting to Danish online and…oh my gosh. Danish almost sounds like gibberish. It sounds nothing at ALL like how it’s written. I am going to buy some language books and begin studying before I leave. I know a few words though. Jeg (I), Dansk (Danish), Danmark (Denmark) and Jeg hedder Emma (how people introduce themselves!).

It seems like such a long time before I leave for Denmark, but I have a feeling that time will fly. I still have SO much to do before my exchange. I have to sort out school credits and other things like that. I have to get a Rotary blazer (almost like a uniform), pins (it’s tradition to exchange pins with other exchange students), finish my sophomore year, and other numerous things that I just cannot remember right now.

Since I am not on exchange yet, this blog will not be updated constantly. Anytime something new and exciting happens I will be sure to inform everybody. So thanks for reading and I’ll write more soon.

-Emma