Central States Rotary Youth Exchange Conference 2015 in Grand Rapids

Hi guys!

Past weekend I went to the biggest conference of the year! 17 Rotary Districts with over 1000 exchnage students from all over north of the United Staes and Canada. We stayed on Calvin Campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For me it all started on Thursday. I left Marquette early and we drove down to Escanaba which took about an hour. From there we took a bus that started in Green Bay and picked up other exchange students, many of them that we knew already. 7 more hours to drive to Grand Rapids, downstate Michigan. We arrived and went to our dorms. It was already late and breakfast was already over so we hurried up to get some food. We met many people again, and almost everybody from the West Coast Bus was there! It was so great to see them all again! there wasn't much going on on Thursday because the conference would begin on Friday. So we just hang out on the roof of one of the dorms.
The next morning we started with breakfast, and played some volleyball after that. then we had the opening ceremony. It was a lot of fun! We had all flags shown and music playing to it. There also were many important people, such as the Rotary International President-Elect for 2016-2017, John Germ. He hold ha speech about the Rotary Youth Exchange and Rotarys' number 1 concern, to end Polio. We could also meet him and talk to him! As well as the President-Elect, there was the Director of the Rotary Youth Exchange International. We got to talk to her as well. We were talking about our experience, what we liked, or disliked, and how we would improve Rotary Clubs and Rotary all over the world! Here is a video from the conference with both the Rotary Intenational President-Elect and the Rotary Youth Exchange Director!
We also had sessions with our own districts and it was so good to see all the people again, but it was also sad to think about those that are already back home. As the evening came they set up a dancefloor and food and drinks. Later we went up to the roof again, telling stories, playing the guitar, singing and laughing about funny stories and memories!

Saturday was pretty much the same. Session after session until the afternoon. Then we had an event called 'Brazil against the World'. So we played soccer against all the outbounds, inbounds and rebounds from Brazil. Guess who won? The World of course!!! 3:1! Wohoo, beat Brazil, again!
Following that we had a huge pin exchange. All the exchange students came together and exchanged pins from the host or home country. Now my blazer is really filled with all kinds of pins! We had a nice closing session in the evening, and then were able to go to a party. Most of us went to the roof though. We had more fun then ever! But we also had to say goodbyes this time and took some last pictures. Inside our dorms we were allowed to stay awake as long as we wanted because it would be the last time for most of us to see each other. We stayed up almost all night and had a lot of fun. On Sunday morning it was the last time that we all would see each other for a very long time. Many people cryied and it was very sad. But we will see each other again. It might sounds weird but those people became part of my family, one big family of brothers and sisters from all over the world and from all different cultures. It was an amazing weekend and an frecking awesome year! I could't be happier with my life and the opportunity I had  to experiece the life of exchange. I am so sad, my last days of my exchange have come and I really do not want it to be over.
I am gonna miss everybody and I am thankful for everybody I got met during this year!
Thank you so much!