Hi Bill,
I just wanted to send a quick note to say thanks again to the Cambridge Rotary Club for sponsoring me to take part in the Rotary Student Youth Exchange back in 2010 (I spent my year abroad in Chile - and my sister came back out to NZ for a couple of months). It truly was such an incredible, life changing year.
The older I get the more I feel grateful for all the people I’ve met in my life and friendships I’ve had the opportunity to make.
June last year I started another year abroad this time as an Au Pair in New York. Prior to this beginning Samantha and I (Rotary Exchange student from Orewa) did a road trip down the West Coast of the USA starting in Seattle where we attended the wedding of a friend we made while on exchange. During our road trip we caught up with 4 other exchange students in various places.
A month ago I organized a reunion with some of the 2010 exchange students. We traveled from Seattle, Detroit, Toronto, North Carolina, New York, Pittsburgh & Boston to Silver Spring, Pennsylvania and spent the weekend in a cabin in the woods catching up - one of the highlights of my year in the USA.
I also just had my Chilean Mum and sister visit New York from Chile and they are hoping to come out to New Zealand for Christmas next year. My Chilean brother has recently moved to Australia and is hoping to come out for Christmas this year.
I have attached a couple of pictures. The first one from our reunion and the second is my Chilean Sister, mum and I in Central Park.
So thanks again for the year that connected me with so many people and allowed me to form some amazing lifelong friendships.
Best,
Jo-ellen
