Far Away From Home
Travel. Abroad. Exchange. 6 weeks.
These are the phrases that come into mind when I hear the word AIESEC. My friends and I have been planning to go on exchange in Thailand since last year and now we’re on our 2nd week! CRAZY how fast time flies. First thing we know, we’re just undecided on where to go, what to do and how to apply for the docs needed for exchange -- now we’re on it!!!
Tough. As it may seem, the process was tough. I had to persuade my parents to let me go for exchange. My dad didn’t want me to leave the Philippines for 6 weeks because he said it’s too long. But I wanted to make the most out of my last Summer vacation before college graduation. I lived up to my expectations.
Surreal. Describing it in a word, must be surreal. Still I can’t believe that I’m out for exchange. The first week was exhilarating, surprising, yet exciting. I had to represent my country alone while the other delegates have their own buddies.
Empowering. This experience taught me what it’s really like to be independent. I am empowered, to be alone; this is my first time to travel without any companion. I had to compute my finances, balance my expenses and take a look out of my budget.
