New Year

     I feel like one of the reasons I don't Blog as much as I should is because I don't know how to start one. (That sentence was a way I could cheat my usual problem) 2017 is here, and with a new year comes reflections on the past year and hopes that you might actually stick to your new years resolutions. When I reflected on the past 5 months of my exchange, I felt kind of bad. I am not the exchange student I want to be and that needs to change. I have some things I need to work on. I don't know Croatian as well as I want to, I understand a lot but I have big holes in my vocabulary that I need to patch up. I have not been blogging or keeping up with my RYE (Rotary Youth Exchange) journals and even my private journals. I'm in touch with a lot of people back home and sometimes it gets me a little homesick. Don't get me wrong I love seeing them Skyping with people makes my day. I feel like I don't get out of the house enough, seize the day as some call it. Especially on winter break, when it is so nice and easy to stay inside and watch movies with my host mom, at the end of the day I feel a little bad for not going out of the house. The big thing that gets to me is that I'm not living like a Croatian. I feel like an American living in Croatia, I don't feel like a Croatian.
     Even though I have a lot of improving to do, I also learned a lot about myself in these past months.  I have learned what I want to do for a career when I am older, which college i want to go to. I have learned that I love Florida, and I am proud to call it my home. Looking back at this summer made me realize that, I love being outdoors. Almost all the parts I look back to I am with my friends and/or family outside.
 Whether it was longboarding with my brother at night,

the little day trip adventures my dad would take us on to cities around,


 Clearwater with my grandma, Aunt Kathy and brother,

 the week on the lake in Alabama with my cousins,

 swimming and exploring Rainbow River with my Youth Group,

 kayaking in Weeki Wachee with my grandma, brother, Marie, Molly and Emma,

 or my farewell party as a whole.

I loved every second of it and will always cherish that summer. Now that I am away, I see Citrus County as my home, and I cant wait to be back. The people in CC right now reading this probably think I am out of my mind for missing it, so I guess I am out of my mind.
To all the people back in Florida (and the ones who aren't)

My Family back home (including the ones who aren't in this picture)

All the Rotary Members Ive met at award dinners, club meetings, things I volunteered at, the ones who interviewed me and knew I could do this, and  a huge thanks to Doug, Ned, Ed and Connie. 

My loves who are from CC and are on exchange at the moment 

All the Rotex from District 6950 that we met who shared their stories with us, and gave us great advice for our exchange year

All the Florida Outbounds who I met on those wonderful Lake Yale weekends

The current Inbounds in District 6950 who I know will have wonderful exchanges because they are wonderful people (there are more I just dont have photos)

So Jin Bae who is back in South Korea right now

My Youth Group

My Theater Nerds

Laura

Chelsea

Oli and Kaykay, even though we don't talk anymore

          

Harley

Olivia, My french buddy

          

 And last but not least to all my AVID, Art friends and anyone I have hung out with more than twice                                               but did not name and don't have a picture of.

Thank you so much for being a part of my life, I love you all and can not wait to see you all when I get back (some I might not see till later on but that's fine, still looking forward to it.)

       I spent last week in Zagreb, with Angie (St. Marys, Canada to Zagreb, Croatia) and Federico (Argentina to Austria). I had a lot of fun going to museums, parks, out for coffee and brownies with them. I didn't even get sick on the bus rides like I normally do. But when I got back to Osijek, I felt... different, in a good way. As soon as I stepped out of the bus station, I felt like I was home, I felt new. Seeing some of my classmates that night was also great, and I didn't know why until now.
Osijek and my classmates have become familiar to me. When you are in a constant new and strange place for awhile, familiarity is a treasure. Yes, strange and new is exciting but without the comfort of the familiar, exciting is the normal, then exciting is not that exciting. You get me? Osijek has become my comfort, my home. A home away from home and I am so glad.

                 Hopefully this year I will make many more blogs and many more memories.