Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas, I mean Utah, anymore!

Question: When I thought I was coming to Sun Valley, Idaho, did I accidently go to Romania instead?  Lol just kidding.  But, FYI, there's more to Romania than the Romanian dragon on Harry Potter.

Here in Sun Valley, at the dorms where I live, the majority of the people are Foreign.  Originally, I was scared that I would end up being alone all of summer.  The first impression I got was that everyone already had their "groups" of friends depending on what country they're from.  I was worried that I would be the oddball out.

However, things worked out differently than I thought.  In fact, within just one week, I've learned a lot about the people here (and when I say people, I mean those from other countries) and I've made some great friends!  In fact, tonight I celebrated the 4th of July with two people from Romania and one from Spain.  I seriously love them, they are so nice and so much fun. This is the first time I haven't spent this holiday with other Americans!  Anyways, back to the point of this blog...

First, they are all always saying please and thank you (even the little 2 year olds that I sometimes babysit).  I've never met such polite people - really though.  The guys never fail to open doors for the girls, and they don't only open them, they HOLD them open. Every time!  Maybe I should move to Europe where chivalry is STILL ALIVE! I wish I could explain it better and give more details, but there'd be too much and my blog would explode (and we don't want that.... hopefully).  It's so incredibly refreshing to be treated so well.  Even the girls are so nice and inclusive.  I have yet to meet one that's an outright brat.  Overall, they are very, very kind and I'm learning so much from them (whether they know it or not).  They don't disclude because of differences.  Even though I'm one of the few Americans living in the dorms here, they treat me as though I am one of them.  And I am.  In the end, we all just want to have fun, make friends, and be happy.  It's not our differences (which are few) that matter, it's our similarities.  And when it comes to our differences, we learn from each other.  On the very first day that I met some of them, they were already treating me like I was one of their friends.  And having none here, it meant the world to me.  Honestly, I wish  more people were like that.

Also, all of those that I have met from other countries are very respectful of religion.  They don't put you down because of your beliefs and they don't judge.  None of them have literally mocked me for my standards.  Yes, there is a little teasing here and there, but it's just fun and we are all laughing, aka they don't cross the line.  They are actually so much more understanding and kind about it than some Americans I've met so far.  I wish I could convey how much it all means to me.  Even though I don't do all of the things that they do (mostly drinking), they still include me in everything.

I'm just learning to love it here.  I love getting to know people with different cultures and different backgrounds.  I've learned that we all have more similarities than differences. We are all the same.  And there is no "popularity" contest, or anything about status.  It's all about acceptance and making the best of what you've got here.  I've never experienced something like this and, until now, the most interaction I've had from anyone that's not American is when a boy from France came and stayed with my family for two weeks.  I'm just so glad to be here!  Heck, I'm even grateful that I'm single just so that I CAN be here and experiences these things!

In the beginning, I was extremely out of my comfort zone - entering a world where there's almost no Utahns and Mormons, let alone Americans to hang out with.

Now, I am getting used to this new atmosphere, new situations, and new people and friends.

In the end, I get the feeling that I'll be sad to leave this place and the people I've become (and will become) friends with.  It'll be sad to know that we'll be in separate countries - we won't be able to just hang out every night.  Also, it'll be weird to go back to Utah where there's not half as much diversity!

Luckily, there's this smart guy who invented FACEBOOK - meaning I'll be able to keep in touch with all of my friends here! What would we do without it?

Conclusion:  This is the best experience ever!  How many people out there get to say that they are friends with people from France, Spain, Romania, Slovakia, Argentina, Panama, Madagascar, Brazil, and more!?!  I'm so grateful for this opportunity!


Hey friends (if you are reading this, then you are my friend), I love hearing from you, so please leave comments!  Also, if you have a blog, leave a comment with the name so that I CAN FOLLOW YOU BACK!