Bolivia and Beyond : Going Off the Beaten Path

I will soon be leaving to the city of Santa Cruz, Bolivia! I am going to be a Rotary Exchange Student where I will spend one year of my life in a different country with a new family while attending a new school. I got started with Rotary because of my sister who participated in two exchanges to Chile and Brazil and convinced me to do an exchange as well. I am so thankful to be able to participate in a Rotary Exchange and can’t wait to leave. I have waited so long to leave and I am extremely excited to be departing tomorrow!

I am going to Bolivia during half of my sophomore and half of my junior year in high school…..this is because the school year in Bolivia starts in Feb. Many people don’t really understand why I am participating in an exchange program….especially to Bolivia. I usually tell people that I am going to Bolivia to learn Spanish. Although learning how to speak Spanish is one my goals, I also have other goals in my mind like: learning about new cultures, experiencing different lifestyles in a foreign country, and trying to understand how the world works. Becoming an exchange student is a lot more than just learning how to speak a new language.

I don’t know too much about Bolivia, but I can tell you a couple of things. Bolivia is in the heart of South America and Santa Cruz (the city I will be living in) is right in the center of Bolivia. It is the size of Texas and California combined. Bolivia also is one of the poorest nations in South America and is known for growing coca leaves (in other words cocaine), having several indigenous cultures/tribes, and its high altitudes. Bolivia is not a well known country but I am ready to start exploring it.