j'oubliais.

I think my lack of posting conveys the amount of time I have en ce moment. My life: work, school, work, sleep, repeat. What haven't I written about? Too much. An attempt to record everything would probably mean no sleep for me tonight, but that's not really unusual anymore.

Well, let's see, since my host mom e-mail messaged me, we've been in steady correspondence. Currently, we write to eachother en français, which calls for a need of improvement on my half. Donc, I've been skipping lunch and studying with mon prof français, which I feel is truly helping (hence my random words in french throughout this post). My teacher couldn't be more supportive of my upcoming experience, and I'm more than excited to return to school my senior year just to have conversations in french.

All in all, my life has been consumed by my job at the oh-so-wonderful Pizza Hut, but Rotary, thankfully, allows me some time to breathe. I've had district conference, which was a weekend at Nemacolin Woodlands resort with five inbound & six outbound exchange students. We made music & laughed, sang & rock-climbed. But most importantly, we fit five people in a smart car (: Three days we stayed together, from April 9th-11th, and then two days later, seven of us left for a week I'll never forget.

Maxi, Sabina, Bia, Edwin, Zack, Emmeline, and Jordann all got on a plane on April 13th at a time too early to remember. They left to go on a trip to volunteer, but they didn't realize it'd be so much more than that.

For lack of time, I'll just post the article I wrote for the Rotary newsletter to explain & describe:

Before leaving for Greensburg, Kansas, I could not imagine why people would try so hard to reconstruct a town located in the heart of Tornado Alley. How could everyone work so hard to rebuild their businesses, homes, and lives, fully aware that they could easily be destroyed again? But before leaving for Greensburg, Kansas, I also never imagined that a natural disaster- one of the worst recorded in our country’s history- could devastate a town for the better. Prior to the EF-5 tornado, Greensburg was falling apart: it was just a small, rural town, like Mount Pleasant, struggling to make it through today’s age. But after the tornado, Greensburg was able to fall back together again. The ability to rebuild and “go green” brought publicity to the town- and is now bringing tourism and revenue. Though not only did the tornado positively impact Greensburg’s economy, but it also strengthened the community. Every citizen shares a pride in their town, having all contributed to piecing it back together again. Although the tornado demolished houses, trees, and parks, it did not affect Greensburg’s spirit. It’s a town where everybody greets anyone they see with a wave and a generous smile. We all, as strangers, felt more welcome there than we do in our home towns. Also, the citizens of the Greensburg share true gratitude for everything they have and are given. We were only a group of kids volunteering for a week, out of the thousands of volunteers that have helped, and they treated us as if we had given them the world. This appreciation, which is absent in the lives of most Americans, made me think that maybe our country would change for the better if it were devastated- but that’s beside the point .

Throughout the week I painted, hammered, and sweated- but every drop of sweat was worth it. I learned new skills, such as how to use a table-saw, and gained insight of the different lifestyles around the world, causing me to become more prepared (and excited) for my exchange. Although Kansas is in the United States, it felt like another country. I’ve never been in a place so flat, and instead of vast forests and winding roads, there are miles of level farmland, adorned with an occasional windmill, and straight, seemingly ever-lasting roads. I also had the opportunity to strengthen friendships with exchange students from Italy, Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil, and, while I was at it, I learned some Spanish (and that I can’t roll my R’s).

When I agreed to go on this trip, I never imagined I would gain so much. Now, I can’t wait to return to Greensburg and see the buildings we helped to finish and the town completely rebuilt. All in all, I would like to thank Rotary for making this trip possible. I can’t have enough gratitude for every opportunity they have provided for me.



And that's that. For some reason I feel like my writing has lost all of its jordann-esque tonight. I guess it's just what exhaustion will do to a creative, existentialist mind.

Mais il est 11:11, donc je souhaite aller me coucher.
I'll write to you at a future time, unknown now, but surely to be discovered.

Bonne nuit.



PS: I finished my visa and found out everything about my home, school, town, etc. I'll post details next time.

:D


this is a blog

that you may find profound, deviant, or insipid.

It may teach you, inspire you and leave you lost in thought; or it may bore you and cause your eyes to drag slowly shut.

You may read it for an hour, or maybe not at all.

Maybe you'll get to know me, maybe in ways I don't even know me.

I left the United States in August 2010 as a Rotary exchange student. I'll leave Belgium in July 2011 as Jordann.

about me

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Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium
I follow the sun.
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