By Pooja, Hosted in California

“I feel extremely glad at this moment of time sharing my experiences with you.  First of all, my heartiest thanks to AFS Intercultural Programs India for identifying my capabilities and giving me this wonderful opportunity.

To begin with, my stay has been awesome.  As the day passes, it adds to my learning and experiences. For me each day is valuable, each day offers me more than what I can learn. I believe I would definitely be a more responsible and mature person after a year  because of this awesome stay here, on my own. Talking about my routine here, I usually  remain engaged all the time, be it studying, helping my host parents, hanging out with my

great friends, or going on outings with my host family. I have been to various places in California like Santa Monica Courthouse, Watts Tower, Fresno and New Beach Port. Well, every visit was enjoyable and full of learning. I also want to share my fascinations here. To mention some, people’s honesty, roads, friends, and

(Photo Above: With School Friends)

cleanliness have caught my  eyes. To conclude, the most important thing I have learnt from my experience is that we must always expect the unexpected and never feel down, rather be ready for the challenges ahead. My life runs on the saying, “I can do it”. It encourages me to take every endeavour. Also, I realised that America is much more  than we think of it. It is awesome; the need is to explore it with full enthusiasm. Once  again, thanks for providing me the opportunity.”