All-IN State Conference

This weekend was the Rotary All-IN State Conference in Indianapolis. This is where all of the exchange students in Indiana (outbounds, inbounds, and rebounds) attend, as well as the Rotarians. It lasted two days, and it was a great opportunity to meet a lot of other exchange students!

On Friday, I carpooled with Autumn (going to Taiwan) and Edward (going to Argentina) to go to Fishers, Indiana. We were supposed to meet with the others at a historical agricultural museum. When we got there, we briefly had some time to meet other students, before we were split up into groups for volunteering. The project for the day was pulling up garlic mustard weeds, which are invasive plants in the area. We were volunteering alongside other exchange students from around the state, and I was able to meet some inbounds from Europe and South America.

After a while, we went around to meet some more people outside of our group. I was able to meet Fiona, who is also going to France! It was exciting to talk with her about the country we were both preparing to go to. I also became friends with Alisa from Thailand and Riko from Japan, with whom I spent a lot of time throughout the weekend.

Later in the afternoon, we had time to roam around the museum for historical reenactments and exhibits. During this time, I walked with Madeleine, an inbound from Belgium, who helped me practice my French. She spoke slowly, and we were able to go over vocabulary and simple conversation.

In the evening, we left on buses to go to Noblesville High School. This was where we were to spend the night–in the gym. Gym floors aren't ideal for sleeping, but it was fun to have a bunch of exchange students in one large space. We had hours to ourselves to mingle with others, and we played volleyball, card games, etc. It was definitely nice to hang out and meet new people.

The next day we drove to Indianapolis, where we were to rehearse for the Flag Ceremony. Most of us were able to get a flag to carry; I got the French flag! We carried out the flags before the lunch started, where Rotarians were present. We were also all wearing our Rotary blazers, with our newly-acquired pins. The exchange students all sat separately at the tables, in order to have us spread out as we talked with Rotarians about youth exchange and potentially hosting students of their own.

Overall, I really enjoyed being able to meet so many new people. I've been able to make new friends and I'll be able to see them at our next regional conference in Michigan.