Hi everybody!! I'm home!!
 
This is going to be my last and final report to you all.
 
This past year has been awesome! it was the greatest year of my life and I'm sure
you guys have heard everybody else saying that too. It's true!
Being a Rotarian exchange student in the United States has been undescribable. I've met
so many nice people, done so many different and wonderful things, experienced, traveled,
learned, seen, you name it. I've done it.
 
The last few months of my life in the paradise were the best of the whole year. The last couple
months in school were so much fun because I knew how everything
worked and went, I had made a lot of friends and I didn't have to worry about studying that much any more.
We had prom (which was the best night of the whole school year) and we had parties. We spent time
with friends. We usually played a sport of some sort, talked and grilled together. I'll never forget that.
 
The bad part in the last part of the year was that we had to say good byes to our dearest friends. All
the other exchange students. We bonded so well as a group and we had so much fun together that I think
our friendship will last for a lifetime. And I miss you guys very much if you're reading this!
 
Last two months were very busy. Three of our exchange students Carlos, Cyril and Marit+I went on
a USA bus tour which took place on the 13th of June and lasted for 28 amazing days.
All this time on a bus, was the best time I've ever had on A BUS.
We made 48 new friends from all over the world.
I would like visit them all but I'm just not sure if I have the money to travel to about 25 different countries.
We got to see the big variety that US has to offer and we got to see the best parts of it,
Las Vegas, San Diego, Orlando, New York, Grand Canyon, IOWA etc. Even though I broke my
camera the day before the first day of the tour, I have thousands and thousand of pictures.
 
I and a lot of other people thought that New York was the best part on the tour. The big apple
is a very big city and it has a lot to offer. I also noticed that some of the people started having sore necks.
I think it's because you have to look up in order to see the whole building.
On a very sunny days we didn't even have to wear sunglasses, There was no sun on the streets because
the buildings are too high!
 
The last day on the tour was the hardest of the tour when we had to say good byes to everybody.
Even I was crying a lot!!!
After saying good byes to everybody and after using ten boxes of  Kleenex. Cyril, Carlos, Marit and I flew home. After the tour we were very tired.
 
The last 10 days I made the most of time in Florida. I celebrated my birthday saw a couple of my closest friends
and packed.
 
This is for all of you great people that had a part on this year. I'm trully greatful for you guys. As you
you read, I'm sure you noticed that I used very powerful words, Best, Greatest, Amazing, Wonderful,
Awesome etc. This is because this year was the Best, Greatest, The Most Amazing, Wonderful
and just Awesome! All of this is thanks to all the Rotarians, all the people that help Rotarians and all the
people that in some way are involved with Rotary.
 
If I was to name every single person that I would like to, there would be no space and I'm sure I would
forget to mention somebody. I want to thank everybody at the same time. THANK YOU!!!!!
THANK YOU for all you who made this year as special and magical as it was!
I would also like to say a special thanks to the Burgess-family who took me to their home and
treated and cared for me as their own (they have a very special place in my heart),
the Bassett-family who gave me a warm house for the last 10 days, the exchange students who all 
are friends for life, also a special thank you to my Rotary Club (the Miramar Rotary Club).
 
 
                                     THANK YOU!!
 
I hope to keep in touch with everybody and I hope to see everybody in the future!
 
Ari Laitinen