My U . S . Exchange
" Kia Ora ! My name is Li-Na Chapman and I went on a short term exchange to the Great Lakes in the USA in Dec 2022 - Feb 2023 . I was placed in a small town called Wabash in the state of Indiana , and attended Wabash High School .
There are many things I adored there and look back on with fond memories , however , there are four that stood out . The first would have to be the stereotypical American High School experience . I felt like I was starring in a Disney Channel movie , there was definitely never a dull moment .
The second would be the sporting culture within the school and professionally in the NBA and NFL . I am very easily absorbed into embracing team spirit , so this allowed me to truly flourish within a new culture . It would be a lie if I said that I didn ’ t take advantage of all the shops and food stores I had in front of me . The biggest content of my vlogs were food reviews on products we don ’ t have in NZ . I might have doubled in weight but everything tasted so good !
Lastly , I know that my experience wouldn ' t have been nearly as enjoyable as it was , if it wasn ’ t for the people I met and the friends I made . These are truly lifelong friendships and I am forever grateful for the time I spent with them .
One large change each exchange student will face is living with a host family for the time that they ’ re overseas . I ended up living with my friend Piper and her family and we bonded immediately , it was genuinely a perfect click . I feel very blessed that her parents loved me like their own , I still keep in contact with them today .
In summary , I thoroughly enjoyed my experience overseas and felt that I grew massively as an individual from this adventure . I want to thank Your Education Exchanges for the amazing opportunity they give teenagers and recommend them to anyone interested in a High School Exchange in New Zealand .
Li-Na from Blenheim went to Indiana , USA .
You can go through Li-Na ’ s Instagram Q & A at @ youreducationexchanges
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