When you participate in the Rotary Youth Exchange you don't just receive a life-changing experience, but you start a whole new life. A life full of new friends, new family and a new culture.

At the beginning of the exchange you feel like an infant, just learning how to walk for the first time. You have to make many little goals in order to make it to your main goals for the year. Those goals may be different for every exchanger. It may be mastering the host language, making new friends, or just becoming accustomed to living in a new culture with a new family.

My main goal was to become fluent in my host language and to make a spot for myself in my host country and I am pretty satisfied with how I turned out. I am a much different person now than the kid that walked off the plane in Palermo. It is as if I see everything through new eyes.

During my first couple of months, I felt as if I was slogging around in clothes two times my size, but now I have grown into my new family, friends and culture. Everything fits me perfectly now.

I can't imagine how it will feel to leave. I have been dreading the moment ever since I realized that I have less than three weeks left in paradise. Leaving my new family and all of my new friends here in Palermo is going to be one of the most difficult things that I have done in my life. They have all become very close to me and now I have to leave them with the thought that I might not see some of them ever again. I have plans to come back to Palermo, but plans are plans, and they aren't definite.

On the other side, I am very excited about coming home. It will be nice to see all of the people that I haven't seen for 10 months. I have heard that I will experience another round of culture shock, but this time I'll be ready for it. In reality I think that it will be a relief for me to get home after such a long time away.

See you soon, Snowmass!

I would like to thank both the Aspen and Snowmass Rotary clubs for offering me such an amazing experience. Ci Vediamo Presto Snowmass!