What is an international exchange with Rotary like?

What country should I do my summer rotary exchange at? NEED OPINIONS!?

• Im 16 doing a month rotary exchange to any country i pick. My 1st choice is Australia (but that very popular so i doubt i will get that), India (always wanted to go there), Brazil for my hispanic culture but i dont know their language, i only know english and spanish.... I went to france and italy a couple months ago.... my heart will always be in italy i would go back any day but i feel i stay out of europe for this exchange and see others places while i have the chance too..... WHAT D YOU THINK!?

• Answer:

  I think it's an excellent idea to think beyond Europe...and I think you're right, that Australia is probably a very popular option because of the language issue. But the only way to answer this question for yourself is to do as much research about the different cultures as you can and see what issues you might face. For example, you wouldn't face a lot of language issues in India, where English is an official language (you would face some, though) but it is a very patriarchal society where kids don't have a lot of independence - how would you deal with that? Australia, on the other hand, might seem like it would be the most familiar, just because of the language, but you might find the differences between US and Australian culture even more unsettling because they'd be unexpected (I had more culture shock in the UK than I did in France, where I expected things to be different...the differences between the US and the UK kind of took me by surprise). Do as much research as you can, and involve your parents in your decision as early as possible, so that there are no surprises - a friend of mine's daughter is currently doing a year-long exchange. She was initially offered a place in India and was going to go, but her mother became absolutely hysterical at the thought of the distance between the US and India...so the girl ended up in Romania. Wherever you go, have fun, be polite, and stay open to all experiences - my ex-husband is still friends with the family he stayed with when he went on a cultural exchange in high school...they call him their American son. It was one of the best experiences of his life. Enjoy!!