It started on July 15th, 2001. I left my home, Norway, to go spend a year in Mississippi. I've been dreaming about the US since I knew what it was, and I don't think I realized that I was going there... and for such along time. It was UNREAL! 

THIS IS MY EXCHANGE YEAR

July
August
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May

JULY:. Fist I spent two of the most awesome weeks in my life at Norwich University in Vermont at The EF Language & Culture Camp. If you're going to be an exchange student, that's something I really recommend! I haven't heard about ANYONE that didn't have a blast at the camp. 
When the camp was over, everyone went their separate ways, to wherever they were going. I still keep in touch with the friends I made there though :) 
Meeting the family was just weird. I was SO tired from being up over 24 hrs, that I guess their first impression must have been "Eehhhh, what's wrong with this girl?". But things were cool, and I liked the family from the first second at the airport. 
July was about to be over, and I was finally in Mississippi. 

AUGUST: August was the month that school started. I was kind of looking forward to it, but not so much to getting up at 6 a.m. to go to school (we started at 7:15). Before school started, I tried out for CHS volleyball team, and made it. I might want to add that everyone that tried out made it... so I wasn't any special :) 
But that was a great experience, I got to meet a lot of people, and I made some new friends! That was the best thing about playing volleyball, I wasn't any good at it, I'd never played before... But I did get something out of it, when I go back to Norway... I'm playing volleyball! 
Ok, school started on the 10th... It was a DIFFERENT experience. The rules here are SO much stricter than at home, and I was just walking around for a while concentrating on not breaking any of them. But after a week or too, I did like everybody else, and just didn't give a dog. 

SEPTEMBER: September was a very different month. Everybody knows what I'm talking about. The attack on the World Trade Centers are still unreal, and even though I'm far away from NY, the effect it has had on the american society is noticeable. When the attack happened, I remember I was sitting in my Driver's ED class taking my Permit test when a guy walked in to the class room and told the teacher that someone just bombed the WTC. We all thought it wasn't that big of a deal, because he didn't seem too upset about it. It was when I got to my 3rd period class that was a computer class, and saw all that was going on surfing the Internet that I realized that this is BIG! 
I was the one giving my class information from the Norwegian internet news pages because the american ones, like CNN and stuff, were broken down because of all the traffic. 
If I can say anything about how the 911 has affected the american society in a good way, it must be that it has brought everyone closer. People are more aware of what's going on, and you can't walk ONE block without seeing an American flag or the words: "God Bless America". 

OCTOBER: October was so affected by the September 11th tragedy, that there weren't much going on. 
Here in Columbus soccer season started, and I was lucky to be on the Lady Falcon soccer team. Our coach was Ms. Angela Price, and our team was girls from 7th till 12th grade. We were 4 seniors, three whom are exchange students, so our team was very young. 

NOVEMBER: Soccer and Thanksgiving, that would be the key words. Soccer season had really started by now, even though it felt like I was running a marathon in stead (that's our coach, running helps for EVERYTHING), I guess it was good for me, and we did have A LOT of fun! 
Thanksgiving was different than I thought it would be, we ate the feast at 11 in the morning, so I didn't really get the feeling of a dinner. I thought it was lunch, so.... Thanksgiving was over before I knew it. 

DECEMBER: Christmas... American christmas is different. I'm used to the Scandinavian way, opening gifts on Christmas eve, eating a big, huge dinner with most of the family before we open gifts and stuff. And the best part, sleeping in on Christmas day :) ZZZZZzzzzzz.... Non of that this time!
It was fun though, when I woke up. I'm not a morning person, and no matter what it is going on, if I'm up before 10, nothing is fun or exciting. But, it was a different and cool experience.
On New Year's eve, I was home at my house with some friends. We had a really good time.This was different too. From home I'm used to fireworks and big parties and stuff. We just had a little gathering with no fireworks or anything. But it was very nice :) I liked it!

JANUARY: When you read February, you'll understand why I don't remeber anything from January. I think I took part in something called The Beauty Revue. But I only made it through the Prelims. didn't get to the finals, so it wasn't a big deal to me.

FEBRUARY: This was definately the month that changed my entire stay over here. I turned 18, I got a boyfriend, Valentine's Day, and I changed families. The entire story of Feburary starts on the 2nd. School arranged a dance, Winter Formal, and I accually had a date for it. One of my friends, another exchange student named Will was my date. So, we went to Winter Formal with two other "cupples", also exchange students. And we had ALOT of fun. It was when we were going home that things took a different turn, I wouldn't say to the worse, just different. 
It turned out that there were two of us that had to find a different ride. So Christina (my Danish exchange friend) and I were left on the parking lot with different rides. I got in the car with a guy called Vertrex, one of my friends' (Jasper) friend, and Christina in Jasper's car. So, we took off. None of us wanted to go home, so we rode around for a little while. I got to know Vertrex a little bit, and I had a good time :) 
When it was time for me to go home, Vertrex dropped me off at my house, he got my phone number and asked if I wanted to be his girl. 
By that time I was getting abit freaked out, because I knew what my host family would say, but I gave him the number. 
What my host family would say, and did after they found out was NO. Why you might think? He was black. 
Here in Mississippi it is not common that white and black date, so this was ofcause a problem. 
To make a really really looong story short, on Feb. 15th I moved out from my first host family, and down the street to the new one, the Penlands. 
A few days later, I turned 18. It was a weird birthday, and I missed my family and friends back in Norway. 
Vertrex was great support. Even though I didn't change families because of HIM, but because I didn't want to go against my morals and my belives that a person should be accepted for the person they are, not for the color or race. 
If people would ask me today though, if I felt the way for him I do today, it would have been both him and my belives that would have driven me to it. Belive it or not, it might sound crazy, but I've found a guy that I love over here. In a way I wish I didn't, we live so far away from eachother, but I wouldn't wanna be without. 
To Vertrex: I love you, baby!
And, how can I not tell you about Mardi Gras? 
Yes, I went to Mardi Gras, New Orleans. It was just AWESOME! Everybody who knows what Mardi Gras is about, know what we were doing there. Just need to say though, we were NOT doing whatever for the beeds.
Beeing the cute little ladies we are, we got into every club we wanted, so... We had A LOT of fun!!!!!! I'll let some of the pictures speak for it self.

MARCH: Prom!
That was pretty much what March was about. Every day was one closer to prom. It kinda sucked when I was told that my curfew was as soon as prom was over. That put a little downer to the entire dance. Both Vert and I were grumpy becuase I had to be home that early, becuase we wanted to go with our friends to a party afterwards. But in stead, he ended up taking me home and go chill out at one of his friend's place.

APRIL: Geez.... It's the present. Right as I'm writing it is April 24th.
A lot of things has happened in April too. I guess the only thing that's really new though is that I got to go to Hawaii!
I was really excited, even though it ment that I had to be away from Vert for a week. On April 6th, I got up at 3.30 am to get to the air-port.
After travelling for about 20 hrs, we finally got there. It was SO beautiful! We lived just off Waikiki Beach, it was hot and just like I've pictured Hawaii. 'Cept for the prices.If you're ever going to Hawaii, take ALOT of money! A gallon of milk is $7!
Well, while I was there I was able to go scuba diving, surfing, snorkeling, chill on the beach, shopping and a bunch of other stuff. The only thing that was negative about going was the place were we stayed. If you ever go to Hawaii, don't stay were we stayed. It was roaches crawlig around everywhere, they did't come to clean our room when they were supposed to, it was just DIRTY! We were 7 girls staying in one little room, so we didn't really spend much time in our rooms. But when you go to bed at night, and all you can think about is how many roaches will crawl in there with you. It's not easy to get a good night sleep.
I MISS HAWAII, and I MISS HAWAII EXCHANGE PEOPLE!!

MAY: May, I still don't know 100 % what going on in May.
On May 2nd Vert and I will have our 3 month "anniversary". It's weird because it seems like I've known him almost my entire life. 6 days after that, Vert 'll be 18 :) I guess I'll figure out a way to spoil him. Cook dinner or something for him. 
Part from that, May will be the last month I have here in Columbus. My parents are coming for my graduation (May 24th) and we're leaving one of the last days in May. I hate to say this, but I don't want my parents to come. Not because I don't want them here, because I do. But when they come, it means that I'm about to go home. Leave Columbus, my friends, and Vertrex. I don't know how I'm gonna be able to handle leaving everybody, I don't even want to think about it.
 

 This is me, my senior picutre :)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Daisy Staples, one of my friends here 
at Columbus High. 
Daisy is Homecoming princess (though she
did deserve to win Queen) and got the cookie
award (best liked over all)!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Jermaine "Chunky" Pruitt.
Also one of my friends here at school.
Jermaine is the one blocking my view in English :)
Football player, awsome guy! :)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Mardi Gras. Need I say more?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

This is my old host family, the Aurey's. This is before a