By Yuliya Grebenyuk

Monmouth Academy



Once upon a time there were two girls. One of them was outgoing, fun, and the other one was…a little quiet. One of them loved to sing, the other – to dance. One of them was passionate, the other – reasonable. Both of them were dreamers and weren’t afraid to take chances. They didn’t know each other. And they wouldn’t have probably met each other, if the “Great Adventure” had not brought them together…

I was one of them! It’s been almost nine months since I’ve been here. Some people say that it is not enough time to take memories with you, to make real friends.. .But I think, that it is more than enough time not to learn but to experience being in a new country, to feel its spirit. The greatest difference in cultures, I think, made the Great Adventure more to look like a Great Challenge, Everything is different: from shopping to the way people think. And that’s what makes the adventure interesting: you know almost nothing about the country you are going to live in; you don’t know what to expect. The only thing you are sure about is that you don’t know anything. Once I was asked: “what are you going to do when you are in U.S.”? And I answered: “I will take it in my heart, keep, as a precious memory, every day of my life.” Maybe it was not very noticeable, but that’s what I did. I have all memories in my heart. And I want to share some of them with you.

The most precious memory I have is Christmas. It was great. Especially if your family as big as my host family is. It was amazing. On Christmas Eve I was laying in my bed thinking about how it is great – to have your family with you. Another memory that keeps spinning in my head is the first day of school. Maybe I remember only the best part of it. but I was more scared than excited (even if I said I wasn’t – don’t believe me). I didn’t know what was going on around me. That first day several people said that they liked my shoes (thank you, guys!!!). For most of the people the compliment on their shoes will mean nothing – but I am not one of them, Every detail does matter a lot for me.

Talking about school activities, the most exciting moment was casting in “Arsenic and Old Lace.” I was really nervous! I don’t know about other people, but when I get on stage, something happens – I put on a “mask”, I can talk differently, I can act differently. And I get a feeling of shivers on my back, when I am on stage. I can feel the stage and myself.

Well, I guess, now it is time for me do write about the most confusing or sad moments in my life here. The most confusing – is playing indoor hockey. Seriously. I do not know how to play this game! So I just decided to stay away from the center of action. For me – when you cannot do something – just don’t do it and let other people do it better than you can. So, I am not going to mention all of the things about language and some of the facts that I just don’t know – there are hundred of those kinds of moments.

But for now, I think, the saddest thing that I will have to leave very soon. For me the time of my departure is not simply coming closer, it is looming (Vocab. Word). And I will miss my great and absolutely amazing host family, I will miss my friends, I will miss teachers, who were so nice to me and helped me a lot. I will miss Maine with all the sky and seagulls and lobsters and moose and squirrels running across the roads and loons that sound a lot like wolves , and the ocean in August and whales and mountains and forests and paths and stars and…have I mentioned the squirrels yet? I will miss all of it. But also I will bring part of it with me. And I will leave the part of me here, with my new friends (will you remember me?!) and I remember – the Great Adventure never comes to the end – there is always something new you have never heard of. And it is great.