“I Am Enchanted to Meet You, United States.”
Abimanyu Daniel Khotamena Sembiring–INA KL YES to USA YP 23/24
If my Exchange Year is a person with whom I can converse and interact, I know exactly what statement I want to say: “I am Enchanted to meet you.” Is it overly dramatic? Maybe for some people, but as a boy whose life has been entirely transformed into a whole new universe as a result of his Exchange year, I believe I should be more thankful than just saying “I am Enchanted to meet you” because this has changed how I live my life.
Starting with my first couple months in the United States, everything is really new, nothing feels like home at first, such a shocking thing for a 16-year-old boy at the time, but thank God my host parents, community, and school are so supportive that I participated in a lot of things already even in my first week of school, like hoco parade representing key club, paint the town, and a bunch of volunteering, it keeps me busy and not homesick at that time.
Months and months, this enchanting moment not only gives me delightful memories, but it also gives me time to learn, understand, and accept things that need to be visualized in different points of view, honestly I would say at this point it is not quite amazing to get the enchanting vibes, but little did I know that this part is just like pulling the slingshot backward to launch me even further away, learning makes me adapt and blend in even more, starting with first week with no one i know, and ended with never seen no one waving and calling my name in the school commons, I learn to push my limits to accomplish what I really wanted to do, I join more activity like international club, peer leadership, anchoring in school tv, having special segment in the school tv, and even join YoungLife, a youth community to encourage and support each other, I also went to winter camp with YoungLife and Encouraged other people, when I supposed to be desperately need to be encourage with everything I need to adjust at first, isn’t that quiet enchanting to feel? Not yet
I think the most enchanting part is when you try to get out of your comfort zone when you’re fully adapted, and with this condition, it is the second time, would it be a success? Would it be possible? Oh it is, the fact that I’m here to be an Ambassador of my country motivates me to try hard and just do my best to be impactful too, and here it comes IEW, I win the AFS IEW Contest, I am so happy and proud, but is it out of my comfort zone yet? Not yet, now this is the moment when I debating with myself that should I do this or not, which is joining sports in United States, sports is really big and competitive in United States but as an Exchange Student I need to try everything I could do, so I give it a try and I made it to the team! I am so happy because the sport that I join is a really iconic American sport, cheerleading! Oh my God, unbelievable yet enchanting isn’t it?
But the most enchanting part is, when I found my new family in another part of the world who love me and treat me like their own son, and also who I love equally like my natural parents! My host parents, my number one super system, my number one listener, number one advisor, the one that I always want to say good morning when I wake up and good night and smile before I sleep, the one that makes every holiday easier for me because they tried their best to make their holiday culture adjustable with my culture too, the one that always made Indonesian food when I’m tired so I can smell the food and be excited again, and the one that I love the most for my whole entire life, thankyou United States, you make me meet them and in love with them, I am so Enchanted to meet you.
