It’s a very busy and exciting time of year for our District. Most of our current outbound and inbound students are now through the first half of their year and, as it happens every year, are completely amazed at how quickly time seems to be passing by! 

Following the holiday season, we quickly lept into our annual District interviews with our prospective outbound students. Meeting all day in Hamilton one day and in Buffalo the next , we’ve selected an outstanding group of 25 candidate students from across the District who are now hard at work readying themselves for their year abroad. 

First up for them (joined by our inbounds) were our two annual Algonquin leadership trips that took place in the first week of February.  

On trip 1, the two teams (Queen Elsa and Princess Anna) were led by the leaders Thijs Schiebroek (Netherlands) and Amelia Pestillo (Batavia NY), flags were awarded to Paul Gigal (France) and Mercy Achan (St. Catharines), and the low temperature for their trip was -27 C (-16 F).  

Trip 2 teams (Olaf and Kristoff) were led by Charlotta Palm (Finland) and Dariane Rogers (Norfolk, Ont), flags were awarded to Yannik Werner (Switzerland) and Minerva Martinez (Spain). Their  trip’s low temperature was -24 C (-11 F).  

Thanks to all of the students who put in such a great effort and made this year’s event so much fun! It is always incredible to see the development of such close relationships and team dynamics with groups who essentially know very little of one another – many of whom had only just met one another. Coming out of these two trips, all 52 students are all looking forward to seeing and spending more time with one another as we all look forward to the Jamestown weekend coming up in April.

We now are ready for our outbound orientation session taking place on Saturday, February 28th as we continue to work with the students on readiness planning for their trips starting this summer. Country placement confirmations are being sent out as we write which will send yet another wave of excitement and energy through the District.

Inbound students are also looking ahead to the District trip to New York City which will also take place in April. If that’s not enough, most of them are also finalizing their applications to the annual Cross America Bus tour set to roll in July.

Obviously 7090 remains a very highly engaged and active District and all of these activities and supports are a mere compliment to the exceptional support and opportunities that our inbounds have been provided through their host Clubs and families. The many trips, excursions and events that we’ve been approving are a strong testament to the exceptional program support 7090 Youth Exchange relies upon throughout our District. On behalf of our District Committee – thank-you!

Mike Taylor, Chair District 7090 Youth Exchange

As I have now officially passed my 5 month mark in this country, I am realizing how fast time really does fly. I’ve created a whole new life here, and it’s really hard to think that in about 5 more months I’ll have to leave it all. I’ve made new French-speaking friends, been accepted into a wonderful Belgian family, ingratiated myself into the Rotary International exchange student family, and visited the most beautiful places I’ve seen in my life.

January has been a months with its ups and downs, but  the downs I’m referring to really only reflect the sad goodbyes I had to say to all of my southern hemisphere oldies . I went to the airport to see off my two best friends, the first two exchangers I met here and the ones I could always talk to whenever I had something weighing on my mind. It was really hard saying goodbye, but now if I ever get around to visiting Australia or South Africa I know who to call to show me around. I think that’s one of the most amazing parts of exchange, the fact that we make these connections with other youth from all over the world and that we’ll carry a little part of their culture around with us forever in our memories. 

The period of sadness I went through after my oldies left only lasted about a week before I became an oldie myself when the new exchangers arrived, including Nili, who will be living with my current family in April.

Celebrating my 19th birthday in Belgium was quite an experience. I celebrated it way more here than I ever would in Canada. I’m usually not that excited about my birthday, but my friends and family here felt it necessary to make my 19th a memorable day. All in all, a great birthday.

Of course I’m in Europe and less than a 3 hour drive from Paris, so I feel it necessary to mention the recent terrorist attacks that shocked the entire developed world recently. The Charlie Hebdo shootings really affected me, and was the only news covered for weeks. It’s always shocking when something like that happens in our modern day society, in a city as famous and chic as Paris. People were making comparisons with the September 11th events, and while I agree that it’s not on the same scale, it was still a terrorist attack in a world-renowned city, in a modern and developed country. The press that it has received since then is astronomical, and it continues even now as threats of terrorist attacks are reported in Liege and Brussels here in Belgium. It was only when one of my friends from Ecuador pointed out that worse things happen in third-world countries every day that I started to look at the issue from a global perspective. When you look at other tragedies, for example the 2000 people killed by Boko Haram in Nigeria just before the attacks in Paris, it puts everything in perspective, and makes one wonder why the price of a life in Paris is judged that much higher than thousands of lives in Africa. Just something I’ve really been thinking about recently, and another reason why I want to work in international politics/relations in the future.

My host family is amazing. I know part of exchange is changing families, and seeing how other people live, but sometimes I wish I could just spend the rest of my exchange with the Lavals.  It’s hard to imagine leaving them in April (even if I am just moving down the street), and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to thank them enough for welcoming me so wholeheartedly into their family.

All in all, life is sweet in Belgium (almost as sweet as their delicious chocolate pralines from Leonidas).