Hacienda Hotel

July 3, 2008 - 4:49pm by alex

The two days that i've spend here have been amazing.  There were so many new people and all of them all friendly.  i admit at first, the trip was EXTREMELY tiring.  first waking up early at 2 AM .. and then having to sit on the plane for TWO hours .. i didn't even talk with my friends.  i was tired.  after we got to california, our group of 15 people had a little trouble keeping together and working together .. but in the end we made it to the Hacienda Hotel.  i was excited at first to just go to my room and relax for a while.  too bad that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.  we were stuck outside of our rooms for about THREE HOURS doing nothing.  everyone was tired, and we needed rest.  the trip started to rock after the end of the orientation that day though !  in the evening, everyone had dinner .. and slept a little as they showed a movie .. and then afterwards we were free to chill !  i mean, the temperature outside was AWESOME.  we were just sitting outside, talking, getting to know eachother.  i've never met such an amazing group of people.  everyone had their own story, and everyone was outgoing and no one was mean.  i found out i was rooming with Dillian, another studen that was going to Changzhao, China.  we talked for a while that night.  he's really awesome.  he goes to a boarding school and practically lives on his own.  that night, we talked about our problems .. and i guess it felt nice just to talk to a stranger about everything.  like - we didn't even know eachother but its just nice.  to have at least ONE person willing to listen.

Before our curfew, though, there were a group of us hanging outside in the garden.  Some of us going to china, some going to Austrailia.  we had fun, touched on light subjects, and talked about the stereotypes that we had for each of our cities.  i can't even begin to describe the experience.  we all agreed that if we could, we would've done the same thing day in and day out for a whole month.  after the orientations that AFS gives us, it just seems so much more REWARDING to talk to these people; the people that i didn't even know

Two days isn't that long.  but in two days, i've already begin to see myself changing.  i'm changing into the person that i want to be.  someone who i can like.  at the beginning of the trip, i told myself that i would come back as someone diffrent, someone that i could actually respect.  everyone here with their own diffrent ideas; they're changing me into what i want to be.  i guess it makes me kind of .. happy :)

If AFS had sent me on this trip WITHOUT the help of OWN!, i would've been so scared to talk to anyone at all.  i would've been that anti-social guy over in the corner.  throughout all of the year, i have been annoyed of the leaderships that OWN! gave.  but now i realize that they've been a big part of me changing myself as well.  OWN! and AFS have met me halfway and supplied me with everything i need to reinvent myself.  it's time for me to do the rest.

The trip isn't all fun, though.  there are problems.  some more serious than others.  but this is suppose to be MY trip.  nothing's going to ruin this.  i've made friends; and lost friends here as well.  some of the friends that i came here with .. aren't really my friends anymore.  i guess everyone's changing.  but at least i'm growing :]  lets see what i'll be like at the end of the trip.

CHINA IS GOING TO BE ROCKIN'!  LEAVING TONIGHT. 

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