If I had to describe my exchange year in three words, I would say: discovery, growth, and connection. When I arrived here in Humboldt, everything felt new. I remember stepping into the gym for the first time and thinking: this is actually like the movies. The lockers, the hallways, the school spirit… and especially the football games.
Before moving to California, I thought the experience would mostly be about the big things: a new school, a new language, and a completely different country.
But honestly, the things I’ll remember most are probably the smaller ones.
Football games where I had absolutely no idea what was happening, but still screamed with everyone else anyway. Spirit weeks, late drives with friends, road trips to San Francisco every weekend, random conversations in class, and all the moments that slowly started feeling normal without me even realizing it.
At first, almost everything felt unfamiliar. When I walked into my classes on the first day of school, I had absolutely no idea what to do or who to talk to. Everyone already had their own friends, routines, and groups, and I was just the new exchange student trying to figure everything out.
It felt overwhelming. A lot of the time, I just forced myself to start conversations even when I felt nervous or awkward. Looking back now, I’m really glad I did, because some of those random first conversations eventually became real friendships and some of my favorite memories from this year.
I think I realized Humboldt had actually become part of my life when I started recognizing people everywhere. Walking through school or around town stopped feeling unfamiliar. People would say hi to me in the hallways, I’d randomly run into friends, and little by little, everything started feeling familiar instead of temporary.
Humboldt started feeling like home.
I think that’s what this year was really about for me: learning to say yes before feeling completely ready.
I joined basketball cheer even though it was completely outside my comfort zone. And thanks to it, I met wonderful people who made my exchange so much better.
I took classes like Journalism and Leadership, where I experienced parts of American school culture that I never would have seen otherwise. Journalism made me feel involved in the school community in a completely different way, and Leadership showed me how much effort goes into creating school spirit and making people feel included.
I said yes to new people, new experiences, road trips, conversations, and moments that felt uncomfortable at first.
And somewhere along the way, those uncomfortable moments became the moments I’ll remember the most.
Senior Night is something I know I’ll always remember. Standing there surrounded by my friends and host family made me realize how many connections I had built here. It felt like the end of a chapter that I actually wasn’t ready to close yet.
Outside of school, Rotary became a huge part of my experience too. Through meetings, volunteering, and events, I met people who genuinely cared about helping others and making people feel welcome.
I also learned very quickly that Americans take Dutch Bros and Starbucks very seriously. At some point, getting coffee before basketball games became less of a “trying American culture” thing and more of a normal social activity. Somehow I became one of those people constantly carrying around giant iced drinks too.
Another thing I really appreciated about Humboldt was the environment itself. The redwoods, the ocean, and the cliffs are some of the things I know I’ll miss the most.
Of course, not every moment was easy. There were times when I missed my family, my friends, my language, and the comfort of home. But what made the difference was that I was never alone.
My host families welcomed me like I was part of their family from the beginning. Teachers were patient and supportive. Friends included me even when I felt awkward or unsure of myself. And the other exchange students understood every feeling without needing an explanation. I am never gonna forget all those relationships I made here.
This exchange taught me independence and confidence, but more than anything, it taught me that growth comes from stepping outside your comfort zone. Most of my favorite memories started with uncertainty, nervousness, or simply saying yes before I knew exactly what I was doing.
So if I could say one thing to everyone, it would be this: say yes.
Say yes when something feels unfamiliar. Say yes when you feel nervous. Say yes even when you don’t fully understand. Say yes even when you don’t fully know what to expect. Because those are usually the moments that end up changing you the most.
So this is not really a goodbye.
It’s more of a thank you to Humboldt, to Rotary, to my host families, my friends, my teachers, and everyone who turned a temporary place into something that felt like home. I will be forever grateful for this experience and for every person I had the chance to meet, because from each one of you I learnt something new.
A year ago, Humboldt was completely unfamiliar to me. Now, leaving it feels a little like leaving home again.
