Tina

REPORTS AND PICTURES

May 19, 2011

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A lot of things happened since my last journal!

In February we had another awesome Rotary trip, Sea Camp! Spending a weekend in gorgeous Keys with all exchange students was just a blast. I learnt about coral reefs and visited Key West. Also, I tried snorkeling for the first time in my life and luckily didn’t see a shark. Thank you Rotary!

I’m staying whole year in one host family and I’m really happy because of that! They took me to ZOO Miami. I saw so many animals, rode a camel and fed a giraffe. Also we went to water park Rapids. It was so much fun going on all those crazy water rides.

In the end of February I had an opportunity to go to HAWAII with travel organization Belo USA. That was, with no doubt, one of the best trips in my life. While the plane was landing I saw dolphins jumping in the sea below. I spent a week on island Oahu with 3o exchange students. Our hotel was on the famous Waikiki beach in Honolulu. JUST PARADISE. We were hiking up volcano Diamond Head, went on catamaran cruise, saw whales, visited pineapple plantations, swam with sea turtles, learnt about Polynesian culture, tried surfing and kayaking, went shopping, had fun snorkeling in crystal clear water with colorful fishes, visited Pearl Harbor, danced Hula dance and so much more..
I absolutely loved it!

One day I went on a field trip to Billie Swamp Safari in Everglades with my Environmental Science class. We went on an airboat ride and saw alligators, birds, turtles and fish in their natural environment. On Swamp Buggy Tour we saw deers, antelopes, water buffalos, bisons and wild pigs. At the end we saw Snake show. Great trip!

Right now my family from Croatia is here. They came all the way from there to visit me! I’m also on my spring break so I’m spending every moment with them. 3 nights before they came I couldn’t sleep, I was SO excited. When I hugged my mom at the airport I started cry from happiness. All my emotions were mixed. We went to some awesome trips and had wonderful week together. They were able to see the life that I had told them about through Skype.

Life was never as perfect as it is now.

THANK YOU ROTARY !!!!!!!
 

Sea Camp!	SNORKELING in the Keys	My best friend Dora and me
Catamaran cruise in Hawaii	GORGEOUS Hawaiian beach	Baby babyyy alligators in my hands

January 17, 2011

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Wow! Already 5 months!! Seriously, where has the time gone!? It’s never going to stop surprise me how extremely fast time is passing by. However, Florida is beginning to feel like home.

This past month was obviously the holiday month, December. Instead having a typical winter break in Florida, I end up in South America, Peru!!! I spent 10 unforgettable days there with my host family. We visited Lima-the capital, Cuzco, Ica, Arequipa-a city built of white volcanic rocks, Puno and Lake Titicaca, where people live on floating islands. One day we explored the sand dunes at high speed buggy ride, stopping periodically to test out the sand boards (yeah it’s true, I tried SANDboarding). For Christmas I had opportunity to be in Machu Pitcchu! We were higher than the clouds and rainbow. It was really breathtaking view! Of course I had so much great time and became closer with my host family. They are simply the best! Also I flew over Nazca desert in a really small plane looking at the incredible Nazca Lines, saw snow and many animals, found out how cold Pacific ocean is, saw volcano, visited oasis and explored many Inca ruins. I will never forget that trip. It was absolutely AWESOME!

New Year’s Eve I spent in Julia’s house and had a lot of fun!

It was really nice to see and hang out with all exchange students at the place where dreams come true - Disney World! We spent each day at different park and just had a blast. I’m already looking forward to the Sea Camp, though it’s going to be the last time that we are all going to be to together.

School.. School is great so far! I have friendships that grow each day. Before winter break I had my final exams and I was pretty happy when I got all A’s an B’s on my report card. Second semester started, my schedule changed and my favorite new class is Anatomy.

One day I went on a field trip to Miami Seaquarium, a famous place where dolphins walk on water and killer whale flies through the air. I also saw sea lions show, baby dolphins, manatees, turtles, alligators, stingrays and sharks. Love my Marine Science class!

Last weekend I spent in Jupiter Beach having so much FUN hanging out with Cristina at the beach, shopping mall and pool. I tried bowling with my friends and remembered how I love ice-skating.

I’m pretty much used to everything by now, the weather is the only thing that still amaze me every day. It feels so good swimming in the ocean and just being on the beach in January, knowing how cold and snowy is at the same time in Croatia. THANK YOU so much Florida for your sunny weather!

Of course I miss Croatia more and more everyday. Now that I’m gone, I appreciate everything I have back there SO much more. Also I realized my exchange is going to be how I make it, therefor I’m keep doing my best enjoying every moment of this awesome opportunity.

“ Good things fall apart so better things can fall together. “

Life isn’t a fairy tale - it has it’s ups and downs. I’m facing challenging and hard things and every day isn’t perfect. I laugh, I love, I hope, I try, I cry, I miss, I think, I feel. Most importantly LEARN and GROW! Well.. that’s what this exchange year is! Not just learning a language and going to awesome places.

Still having the time of my life!

THANK YOU ROTARY!
 

Having FUN with 

Andrea and Mileena

Miami Seaquarium 

Exploring Peruvian 

desert 

My little host sister 

SANDboarding 

New Year's Eve

December 20, 2010

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It seems like just yesterday that I was leaving Croatia, saying goodbye to everyone. I have been living in the Sunshine State for three months now. Time is flying so quickly that sometimes I just wish that it could slow down a little bit, but on the other hand I can’t wait to see my family and friends again. I feel like my English is better. I learn more and more everyday. I have done so many interesting things since my last journal, it’s just amazing! And luckily I haven’t been homesick.

I went to see the Florida Marlins game with my friends at the Stadium. It was my first baseball game. Even I didn’t understand anything about that sport I felt so American. We ate hot dogs and I had so much fun. The game finished with an amazing firework show. After the game there was a Steven Miller concert on the actual baseball field. We didn’t know any of his songs but we danced and had a fun time. I also went to my first football game which was awesome!

Last month I changed my school for the third time. Now I’m wearing a uniform, and I’m going to Cardinal Gibbons High School. It’s a small private Catholic school in Fort Lauderdale, and I absolutely love it!! My third first day of school was also the best one. My friend Mon introduced me to many people and showed me around the school. I met so many nice people and made some really great friends who I hang out with also outside of school. I’m taking 6 classes, and in my art classes we are actually drawing and making pieces from ceramics instead of just learning about art history like in Croatia. The school here isn’t that hard. I’m learning things I have already learned few years ago in Croatia but it’s just different because of the language. However I love going to school! :)

In october I went to Miami and Stiltsville with my district 699o and I had so much fun there! It was absolutely awesome! The first day we stayed in a big house in Miami and hung out in the pool eating pizza and the second day we went with a yacht to Stilstville and spent the night there in the house of wood stilts. I have never slept in the middle of the ocean before. It was also my first time sleeping in a sleeping bag. While I was driving on the yacht watching how close I was from Miami, I felt like I was in some music video, like I was dreaming. It was so nice to spend some time with other exchange students and share some experiences. Definitely the best weekend in my life!

I already said I’m staying with the best host family you can ever have. I don’t know what else I can say about them. I just love them! They took me to Daytona beach one day, which was a very nice trip and I’m so thankful. That beach is so beautiful and it’s so amazing how you can actually drive your car on the sand. We also went together to Mai-Kai, Polynesian restaurant with really delicious food and we had a lot of fun there talking and watching Polynesian show with the fire and dancers.

I also had opportunity to celebrate my 18th birthday here! I still can’t believe I’m already 18!! When I woke up, I really missed my family and friends because I wasn’t going to be with them on such a special day, but later I felt so happy. My host family decorated all the house and my room with pink balloons and streamers and pink roses. In school everybody in my math class sang happy birthday song to me, and I got some nice presents and cards. Later I went with my host family to a really nice restaurant and I had two cakes. Every day that week we went to some restaurant with other family members and I had cake and they sang every time. I never had so many birthdays cakes! The best part of my birthday was when I had a birthday party. In Croatia your 18th birthday is a really big thing and you need to have a decent party so I had one. ;) I invited my friends and we went to the Cheese cake factory and ate a huge and amazing chocolate cake and a reese’s cake and after that the pink limousine came and we drove for 3 hours dancing and partying. At the end of my birthday party we went to the beach and had a bonfire and we roasted marshmallows and made s’mores. We talked and sang some songs while some of my friends played the guitar. I had the best birthday party ever! It was absolutely perfect!

Of course I can’t forget about Halloween! In Croatia we have Halloween but it’s not as big as it is here. We don’t celebrate Halloween that much and no one wears costumes or goes trick or treating. I went to a Halloween party at my friend’s house in my angel costume and it was so funny. We danced and talked and watched some horror movies. I tried apples with hot caramel which was so good. I love American food so much! I also went trick or treating with my friends and host sisters and got candies for at least 3 months!

Last week we had interviews for the next outbounds and I was enjoying listening to how all these people want to go on exchange. Last year I was one of the candidates, I was so excited and a little bit nervous like them and now it is so awesome that I’m on my exchange in Florida interviewing next year’s students. After that I went with some exchange students to the movie theater and had a great time.

I went to Hallandale Beach- Aventura Rotary Club and it was nice. They made me feel very welcome. One week I was sick and had to stay at home. I was nicely surprised when I got a big feel better Tina card from my school friends telling me how they miss and love me.

The hardest thing to get used to is how far everything is and that to go somewhere you need a car. In Croatia everything is so small and close and you can easily go from one part to the other. There we also have buses, trains and trams and here you need to ask for a ride. But I love how people are so outgoing here so that’s not a problem! The hardest thing about coming back home will be leaving the Starbucks, Taco Bell, Reese’s, and Dairy Queen.. my new favorite food.

Today I celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time in my life! It was so good in the morning to wake up and smell the turkey and all of the delicious food. I spent the whole day with my host family and it was so nice although I think I gained 1o kilos after lunch haha :)

Florida is so beautiful and I LOVE it!! Thank you so much Rotary for this wonderful and unforgettable experience!! This exchange is taking me to the different level. I think I will never stop being grateful. And of course thanks to my both families ( here and in Croatia ) for making my dreams possible. I'm truly enjoying life here. It keeps getting better and better! ((:

September 28, 2010

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I can’t believe it’s been over a month since I came here! The time is going extremely fast when you are having good time. This month was full of discovery. I love everything about Florida but it’s so different from Croatia. In Croatia we don't have so much fast food restaurants and big trucks everywhere as you do here. American people live in the cars. I already got used to on hot and warm weather because I really do love sun but think I’m going to miss snow during the Christmas time.

The school over here is so different from schools in Croatia and whole school system. In Croatia we don't have that ability to choose classes, so during our high school we are always with the same people in class. Here I’m taking only 4 classes every semester but there I have to take 17 classes. I like this school system more because I’m focused more on classes that I’m in to. I’m going to Pompano Beach High School and the fact which really shocked me is that we don't have school on Fridays :)) yeah it’s true.. no school on Fridays, that’s awesome.. but from Monday to Thursday I have longer school days, from 7am to 3pm. The teachers are all nice and helpful and they are really trying to be enthusiastic. The school is really easy for me so I have good grades and always get a “great job” or smiley stickers on my exams, which I find really funny. For lunch I’m sitting with 9 girls who are cheerleaders and they are all really nice and friendly. I joined Interact and French club and met more nice people there. 

My host family is amazing, it’s like my own so mostly I’m not feeling homesick. They already took me to Bush Gardens, big safari park full of roller coasters. I was completely wet of all these crazy water rides! We spend all day there and I had so much fun. We also visited Tampa, which I really liked. My older host sister took me one night to Fort Lauderdale with her friend and we had a great time there drinking hot chocolate. Two weekends I spent also in Fort Lauderdale but on the beautiful beach with other exchange students and there I had opportunity to see a shark! One day I had a great time with my little host sister at the pool. Last week my host family, my school friend Emily and I went to Everglades and for the first time in my life I saw alligators, matter a fact I was holding baby alligator in my hands! It was absolutely awesome!! And later I ate one and I liked it.  At the Rotary orientation at the lake Yale I met so many people from everywhere in the World and had so much great time. Thank you Rotary!

My host family has a private beach near the house and I’m spending a lot of spare time there tanning and swimming in the ocean with my family or friends. My big love is dancing so from next week I’m going to be a part of hip hop & ballet dance team and I can’t wait.

Sometimes there are moments which are usual in life of one exchange student when I miss my family and friends, croatian food and Croatia in general but right now there is no such a place on the earth where I would rather be than here in Florida. 

I saw a lot of interesting things for a month and I’m really looking forward what I’m going to see in next months. My life completely changed. I already feel like I’m growing up as a person and being more independent. I’m living my dream. Being exchange student it’s absolutely PERFECT !  ((:

Beautiful Fort Lauderdale beach

Me having a great time at the beach!

Baby alligator in my hand

Bush Gardens roller coaster