台灣學校：花蓮慈濟中學高二

在美校名：Northwest High School

在美地區：TN 田納西州

初 到美國的我，凡事都小心翼翼，自覺英文不好，又聽不太懂「美國人」之間的對話，除非人家問我問題，不然我總是默默的做我自己的事，不太開口講話。這樣的日 子持續了約兩的禮拜，有一天在課堂上，老師給了我們一些自由的時間，同學們又像往常一樣開始聊天，看著他們開心的閒聊，腦裡突然冒出之前在新生訓練聽到的 一句話：「不要讓自己當壁花！」瞬間，有種醒悟的感覺，對呀！為什麼要讓自己當壁花！來這裡的目的不就是要學英文嗎！

        於是開始試著「講話」，隨便想到問題就問，想到話題就講，試了幾天發現，其實也不是那麼難，習慣了後，大家也開始主動找我聊天，前幾天還有人說，剛認識我的時候以為我很內向，後來發現我也是很愛講話的，才知道根本不是這樣…聽的我不知道該開心還難過…

       因為從小在台灣讀吧，到了美國後，除了常常查字典外，學校的課業其實很輕鬆，就連一向令我頭痛的數學，也不再是問題，老師甚至還要求我自習課去他教室輔導其他學生。在這裡，不再整天抱著書苦讀，而是真的學到該怎麼過日子。

上個月收到AYUSA募 書的通知，很興奮的開始列出各種可行的方法，之前在慈中曾參加原住民孩童的輔導計畫，因此對原住民有很深的感觸，一想到募書，腦裡浮現的全是那一張張天真 無邪的面孔。他們，是我最大的動力。我做了海報到處張貼，在學校和教堂廣播請大家幫忙，也到附近鄰居家一家一家問。不說募到多少書，倒是認識了很多人，英 文也進步了不少，我覺得，當交換學生和留學生最大的不同就是，你會很想多做一點事、為台灣多盡一份力。

        一個人在外，沒有父母當靠山，面臨問題，再也無法逃避，只能想辦法解決。每次失敗，得重新再來；每次哭完，問題還是得解決。想起換家庭的那段日子，過程雖 然艱辛，卻也因此讓我更勇敢。慶幸自己在十七歲這年就有機會學習獨立面對問題。感謝父母讓我出國當交換學生，這一年真正學到最多的，不是一口流利的英文， 而是人生的經驗。

People always said that the first three months are the hardest for an exchange student. I am glad that I already past my 『first three months』, and I felt good to see myself improve everyday.

When my first came here, History and Government class gave me a really hard time. I always felt confused and I have no idea about what’s going on during the whole period. I was really afraid I can’t get good grade and I will get in trouble. I tried to read the textbook after school to see if it heip. But it is really crazy, I need almost an hour to read only 『a page』. It’s made me really frustrated. I started to ask my friends and teachers for help, and finally found out how to study for these two period. I think it is really fun that you always can learned a lot after you figure out the problems.

Two weeks ago, I changed my host family. I worked on it for whole month and I cried almost everyday. I still remember that when I found out my CR forward the email that I sent to her to my hostmom. I was almost break out, I felt helpless. I thought CR should be the one who can help me when I have trouble with my host family! But I don’t felt she was helping me at all. I felt upset and I started to called back home. After few days, I found out that my parents can not really help me. The only person who can figure it out is myself! My parents can encourage me, but I still need to help myself! So I started to work on it and face it.

Now, when I look backward and think about it. I am glad. I am glad my exchange student life is not perfact. If I didn’t face those problems, I can’t learn that much. I’ll probably just have fun and go back…

Last week, I read a book about 『Wilma Rudolph』. In the book, she said 『The triumph can’t be had without the struggle』. It’s made me think a lot. Host family, classwork, school team…Everything is new, and they are both called 『challenge』. They came to us to help us learn more~!

Sometimes I still feel a little homesick, but I always remind myself that I only have ten months here. I don’t have time to spend on homesick. Well, I think I will keep trying hard at everything, and be a real 『EXCHANGE STUDENT』.