Broadening My Horizons
Andi Naia Salsabila–INA KL-YES to USA YP 23/24
As I bid farewell to my family and friends at the airport the day I left for the US, waved and hugged them goodbye, saying our final “see you next year”s, I realized that this was all getting real. I was about to start my exchange program at 16, in a faraway country I’ve never visited before for 10 months, to experience my life in a year, to start the beginning of my entire life. Little me couldn’t even imagine being 10.000 miles away from home. Was I excited? Of course. Nervous? Most definitely.
To say that the first month of my exchange year was filled with sunshine and butterflies would be a lie (maybe not the sunshine part because when I tell you that the Orlando sun during August was hot, it was indeed scorching hot). I landed here in Orlando, Florida on the very last day of my host school’s summer break, meaning that I’ll be attending the first day of school the very next day after my arrival. I got to pick out my subjects the day before school started, which I thought was a nice experience since I never got to choose my subjects at school back in my home country, Indonesia. After I was happy with my classes, I went back home and told my host family that I’d be taking a nap. Still jet lagged, this “nap” turned into a very long one from 5 P.M. to 2 A.M the next morning. Nevertheless, I looked forward to my first day at an American high school.
I remember spending my lunch on the first week of school alone. At that time, though I wasn’t much of a people person, I decided to go out of my comfort zone and say hi and introduce myself to different people every day. I was jumping around a lot and didn’t have a solid friend group until I befriended this girl from my AP Chemistry class. I asked her if I could join her at the lunch table, and she said yes, and the best part is we have similar interests and she has a friend group. The rest is history.
From then on I decided that, hey, I’m only going to be here for a year so might as well try new things that I was too scared to try, take risks, meet people, and have fun — and so I did! For the first time in my 16 years, I decided to join a school sport, weightlifting to be exact and I never realized that lifting weights could be something so enjoyable and it also unlocked a side of me that I never knew existed. Like, who knew I was able to clean and jerk 70lbs (≈31.7kg)? I made a lot of new friends there too.
I was surprised by the number of varieties of clubs and sports offered by the students and also by the school — more than 40 clubs are a lot! I decided to take full advantage of it and be involved in as many clubs as possible. Currently, I’m a part of the school’s Muslim Student Association (MSA), girls’ weightlifting, the Science National Honors Society (SNHS), and I’m also an officer for the school’s film club. I made deep connections and swell memories with each one of them.
The first five months of my exchange year also taught me personal growth. I learned that in American culture, people tend to be more direct in the way that they communicate with other people. Coming from someone who tends to be more reserved, it was surely a challenge for me to adapt and express myself. Over time, though, I had more conversations, especially with my host family, and took baby steps, one at a time, to adapt to their way of communicating. I learned how to tell people around me how I’m feeling, whether I’m feeling good or not in certain circumstances. I also became more confident just talking to people here in general, and sharing my culture, in English.
I’ve learned a lot from the first half of my exchange year — taking risks, stepping out of my comfort zone, and learning more about the culture that is deeply rooted within the community. I discovered new potential, faced my fears, and shared my culture. I’ve made it halfway through my exchange year and I surely can’t wait to see what the rest of the next 5 months will bring me. I’m looking forward to making the most out of it :)
