YFU Essay Contest - Runner up!

One thing I've forgotten to share is my, almost victorious essay that I wrote for a contest where the 1st price was a trip to the west coast. Surprisingly enough my essay qualified as a runner up (one of the best 5) and I won a $50 giftcard! The assignment was to write about the best memory, a once-in-a-lifetime-moment or something important from ones year abroad. I chose to write about my swedish exchange sister Ida.

The Beauty of a (Swedish) Sister

Coming from an ideal Danish family with a mother, father and an older brother, I have always wanted a sister. Well who knew my wish was about to come true. With excitement as well as anxiety running through my veins, I waved one last goodbye to my dear ones and walked down the terminal. Leaving not only my family but also my comfort zone behind, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to see any of it again for the next 10 months, was a strange feeling. Filled with euphoria with the thought of all the adventures waiting for me, I had not yet realized what an enormous commitment this was…

Reflecting back over the past 9 months, I am unable to point out my most favorite thing about her. Is it the laughing out loud over the most random things? The several talks about heaven and earth walking home from school? The impulsive sleepovers? Or maybe even the annoying yet adorable farting noise she makes with her mouth when she’s having trouble describing something? Nevertheless I wouldn’t have endured this year as successfully as I did without her. An exchange year is truly the best thing I have ever done. It’s no fairytale but a tough, eye-opening, and rewarding experience that has made me proud to be the person I am today. 

“Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are, for what you could become.”