Choosing a Country

by Jenna DeLaurentis

   One of the hardest things about exchange is choosing where you want to go. Do you want somewhere hot? Cold? A large country? Rich? Poor? Mix that in with concerns about the language, and choosing your country becomes a huge ordeal.

   The first thing I thought of was my heritage. Do I want to learn about where I came from, or do I want to experience a culture I know nothing about? I am Italian, and I have grown up with bits and pieces of Italian culture, from wine stomping parties to Sunday spaghetti at Grandma's. These experiences gave me a spark to learn more about the Italian culture, which is why my first choice is:

                                                                             Italy!
   The next thing I thought of was what I didn't want. I am not as interested in East Asian cultures, so those countries are out of my list. While I love Australian culture, I want to learn a new language, so that is off the list. While picking things I did not want, I realized I love all things Scandinavia. I cannot pinpoint what I love about it, but I am interested in the region. I would place the whole region as my second choice if I could, but for the sake of the list, I am most interested in:

                                                                           Sweden!

   So, I like European countries. Europe is very diverse with almost fifty countries, and I would gladly put any as my third choice. However, last year, Latin America sparked my attention. I often think as continents as colors. Europe is a light blue, Australia is a nice orange, but Latin America is a sparkly array of neon purple spark. That is the best way I can describe it. I am interested in the spunkiness of Latin America (is that a word?). Aside from the spunkiness, I want to experience living in a developing country, which leaves my third choice as:

Brazil!

   So that is my list for Rotary: Italy, Sweden, and Brazil. Three countries selected from years of learning about the world and finding what I am interested in. And yes, I realize I may not get any of these countries, but I am fine with that. I would go virtually anywhere to have an experience as amazing as exchange, and I hope my dream will come true.